WICB Pays Big Bucks to Fired CEO

Who said the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) was broke? CaribbeanCricket.com has confirmed the cash-strapped board shelled out a six-figure sum (in $US) to ousted CEO Gregory Shillingford as part of an agreement that bars him from legally challenging the dismissal.

It it not known exactly how much money was involved in the "settlement", which was styled as an "ex-gratia payment" in Caribbean media reports. The Dominican Sun, which broke the story, said the payout was made without prejudice on condition that the former CEO waves his rights to challenge the fairness of his termination in any court in Antigua and Barbuda or elsewhere.

Exactly two years after he was named CEO to replace Stephen Camacho, the WICB fired Shillingford for non-performance, claiming that the decision followed consideration of a report on his performance conducted by its Review and Assessment Committee, a review of the evaluation process, and comments from each board member."

However, sources say Shillingford warned the WICB in the days before he was fired that he'd take legal action to challenge the dismissal (which he was expecting). Lawyers for the WICB advised on the three-figure payout and hammered out a deal with Shillingford to bar him from filing a legal challenge.

has been given a cash settlement by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) following his dismissal last week as the Board?s Chief Executive officer, the Dominica Sun newspaper reported yesterday.

Prior to being fired, the Sun said Shillingford had written the Board members indicating that the appraisal report presented by the president, Wes Hall to the Board meeting of September 13, 2002, contained misrepresentations, and allegations to which he did not have an opportunity to adequately respond.

Shillingford told the newspaper he was "quite satisfied with the ex-gratia payment from my former employers."

The WICB has installed chief marketing executive Roger Brathwaite to act as CEO until a replacement is appointed. Insiders say Barbadian director Stephen Alleyne is the front-runner to land the job although some member boards have voiced opposition to his candidacy.