W.I Players to Get 25% of ICC Pot

West Indies cricketers will get 25 percent of the ICC mini World Cup pot, according to a statement from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

After an extended standoff over terms of contracts proposed by the ICC, the WICB and representatives from the players' union met in Jamaica and hammered out an agreement over money for the mini World Cup later this year.

The full WICB press release follows (the section in bold discusses the concessions for the ICC tournament):

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) announced today that agreement had been reached over player rights in respect to the International Cricket Council's (ICC) Champions Trophy in Sri Lanka in September.

The West Indies Players have signed the event documentation (The Player Terms) subject to the ICC formally agreeing to consult with Players before concluding commercial agreements for ICC events other than those that have already been sold.

WICB CEO, Gregory Shillingford, stated that "further to correspondence from the ICC CEO Malcolm Speed, an IDI Board meeting scheduled for Saturday 31st August in Dubai is expected to ratify this agreement on the consulatative process with the players."

This agreement means that the WI full strength team selected and announced on August 12th 2002 will proceed to Sri Lanka on September 5th 2002 barring injuries.

Over the past few days, the WICB and WIPA have been in wide ranging discussions over issues concerning the players rights over use of their images and how this could be balanced against the interest of the ICC's commercial partners who sponsor these World Events.

The meeting between the WICB and WIPA was attended by WICB's President, Wes Hall, CEO, Gregory Shillingford, Financial Controller, Barry Thomas, Windies World Cup 2007 CEO, Chris Dehring, WICB Legal Advisor, MIlton Samuda, WICB Directors Jackie Hendriks and Wycliffe Cameron, WIPA President, Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA secretary, Reon King and The WI Squad members for the Champions Trophy.

Mr Ramnarine said "WIPA and the players were determined that player's rights should not be sold by the ICC without consultation and financial benefit to the players and that his association will continue to address this issue at all levels of world cricket". In reflecting on the agreement Ramnarine recognised the players interest in the future of West Indies and world cricket.

Appreciative of the heavy commercial restrictions placed on the players, President Rev Wes Hall succesfully sought the approval of the WICB Board to offer the players 25% of the dividends that will be obtanied by the WICB in respect to the 2002 Champions Trophy only.

Rev hall said "The WICB has agreed that there must be a consultative process between the ICC and the players and shall continue to make representation at ICC Executive Board Meetings to have the concerns of the WICB on financial, operational and player rights issues resolved to the benefit of all concerned".

The majority of the WI Champions Trophy players are with their regional teams for the Final Four Weekend of the Red Stripe Bowl on the North Coast of Jamaica.