'WICB Keeps Shifting Goalposts'
Sun, Mar 20, '05
The West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) late Sunday warned that the unilateral, strong-arm tactics of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) would leave the players with no option but to "take such actions as may be necessary" to protect their rights.
Just 24-hours after the WICB axed Brian Lara and six other players with Cable & Wireless contracts, WIPA said the two statements from the board on March 18 and March 19 were a clear sign that the board was changing the rules from day-to-day to suit its own purposes.
"[The] Board's statements reflect its accustomed tactic of shifting the goalposts as these events unfold," WIPA said.
The association said the seven contracted players were first advised on March 3rd by WICB chief executive Roger Brathwaite that they would not be considered for selection until their contracts were made available for scrutiny to satisfy the Board that the contracts were individual and contained no provisions ?which could be construed as passing off? as a member of the Team.
After the contracts were tendered, the WICB then issued a new demand was made for a waiver of confidentiality. Then, WIPA said, the test was shifted from whether the contracts were individual to whether the player could meet his obligations to the Board, which obligations where nowhere stated.
"Now, the Board?s release indicates that yet another test was used, relating to when the contracts were signed (whether they were pre-existing or not), and whether the contracts would prevent the player not from meeting his obligations to the Board, but prevent the Board from meeting its obligations to the sponsor, which obligations were unilaterally undertaken by the Board and about which the players and their Association were totally in the dark."
WIPA said the board's tactics reflects a "perverse determination" to consider only so-called ?clean players? for selection.
Making it clear the board appeared to be acting as a proxy for its main sponsor Digicel, WIPA said the situation reached a stage where as soon as the players cross one hurdle, another was erected in its place.
"[We] have reached the stage where the Board has exposed itself as judge, jury and executioner. And all the while, it bold facedly maintains that it respects the binding decision of Justice Saunders regarding the players? rights to enter into personal endorsement contracts."
The association rejected the manner in which the WICB issued an invitation to Brian Lara to make himself available for selection to the squad for the first test match. "WIPA wishes to record its wholehearted support for the position which Mr. Lara has taken in response to the Board."
The association left the door open for eleventh hour talks to settle the dispute and have the best team selected on the basis of merit and cricketing ability and to resolve the present impasse before the start of the Home Series.
"We propose that the status quo achieved for the VB series in Australia in December 2004 be maintained, so that the best team is selected while legal argumentation regarding the contracts, as well as the conflicting commercial interests of the two companies in contention, take their course. The players and their career, and the hopes and aspirations of Caribbean people, should not be made scapegoats in this issue."
"WIPA sincerely hopes that the Board sees the wisdom of our proposal and of the views expressed by the Prime Ministerial Sub Committee on cricket and the sentiments voiced by the overwhelming majority of the West Indian people. Failure by the Board in this regard may well leave WIPA with no other alternative but to take such actions as may be necessary to protect our members? rights and the interest of West Indies Cricket," WIPA added.
"We trust that it does not come to this and good sense prevails on the part of the Board."