The WICB - Fair or Foul?

West Indies cricket is collectively owned by the West Indian people on whose behalf the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) operate and regulate this regional treasure as a trust. It is the West Indian people that are the ultimate source of all the power exercised, on their behalf, by the WICB.

When West Indian players or administrators commit disciplinary or administrative offences, they are in fact acting against the interests of the West Indian people.

Accordingly, when West Indian players or administrators are alleged to have committed disciplinary or administrative offences, it is the obligation and duty of the WICB on behalf of the West Indian people to:

1. make public these allegations and in the case of allegations against players to publish the appropriate excerpts of the Manager's report,

2. bring the appropriate charges against the particular player or administrator,

3. fairly but efficiently bring the matter to a hearing before an independent disciplinary committee,

4. make public the reasons for judgment and the sanctions or acquittal.

If such a process is consistently implemented it will bring the collective will of the West Indian people to bear on the players, administrators, the members of the disciplinary committee and the members of the WICB, who would likely have an appellate function.

In contrast, the current situation is that the WICB via its individual officers and selectors try to come to the "right" decision without any or any sufficient regard for due process and fairness.

For example, I have recently read the article entitled " Harper Farewell Marred by 'Disrespect'" which contains numerous allegations against West Indian players and administrators.

Those allegations, if having any basis in fact, should already have resulted in disciplinary hearings prior to the start of the Australian series.If the allegations have no basis in fact, the WICB should conduct a public investigation to identify and discredit the dangerous source of such dis-information.

However, as usual, the West Indian people are kept in the dark and left to speculate and fuel the rumour mill and inevitably, increase insularity. In that vacuum, the WICB engages in cover-ups and blacklisting particular players while seemingly ignoring the alleged transgressions of others.

I recently described Chris Gayle as a "victim" who has been "blacklisted" by the WICB and/or its selectors. I do not come to this conclusion because I support Gayle's decision to play in St. Lucia rather than Barbados. Gayle is a victim because he has been convicted and sentenced (blacklisted) without even the pretence of due process, which requires a specific charge and a fair hearing.

Instead of due process the WICB and its officials float ugly balloons like "eligibility", "requisite commitment", lack of form and now from nowhere, come new allegations of previously unknown indiscretions.

Like most West Indians I was previously unaware of the allegations stated in the "Harper Farewell" article and they disturb me. The most disturbing to me is the allegation that a senior WICB official, referring to the allegation that Gayle told Skerritt in front of the whole team that he would soon be gone as WI Manager, stated that "none of it actually broke any team rules per se because players have the right to such opinions,..."

Is that senior official, the legal advisor? I certainly am of the view that, if true, such conduct by Gayle would be the appropriate subject of disciplinary proceedings and if found "guilty" possible sanctions should include, but not be limited to, a public apology to Skerritt, Gayle's teammates and the West Indian people.

If two of the major problems of West Indian cricket are indiscipline and insularity, the WICB's effort to overcome these twin monsters must be transparent, efficient and fair. Only in this way can the WICB gain the confidence of the West Indian people and impose on both players and officials the most potent disciplinary force available, the collective will of the West Indian people.

Rev. Hall its your call, WICB - Fair or Foul?