Digicel Logo Takes Pride of Place

The West Indies players called to camp in Barbados were all decked out in Digicel gear during an intense session with new coach Australian Bennett King yesterday at the 3W?s Oval.

The team, minus Jamaicans Wavell Hinds and Chris Gayle (the duo was expected in late Wednesday evening), all attended the sessions in full Digicel gear as a compromise with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the players association.

The arrangements were agreed to over the weekend in Grenada after talks with Grenadian Prime Minister Keith Mitchell.

This comes after weeks of negotiations between the WICB and the WIPA. President and Chief Executive Officer of the WIPA, Dinanath Ramnarine said yesterday that the players are all wearing the Digicel gear.

Communications officer of the WICB, Lennard Robertson also said yesterday that originally the players who did not sign were not going to sport the Digicel logo on their clothing, but after talks between the WICB and WIPA, they all wore the Digicel brand yesterday.

The players are not being paid to attend the camp but are all receiving a stipend of US$50 per day.

A fee for sporting the Digicel name will be built into the players' split of the sponsorship pie which is still to be worked out between the two parties.

The row between the players and the WICB was mainly over the controversial ?clause 5? contained in the match/tour contract. Of the 25 players served with invitations and contracts only seven signed as the WIPA, under the guidance of Ramnarine, fought against the Board.

Four players in the squad have contracts with Digicel?s main Caribbean telecommunications rivals Cable & Wireless, the former sponsors of the regional side for home tours. This posed a major problem with the players now having to endorse Digicel?s products as well as Cable & Wireless?.

All four Cable & Wireless-sponsored players will wear Digicel-branded apparel when participating in team events.

The WIPA is asking the WICB to allow the players to personally endorse the products of Cable & Wireless and they will then also endorse those of Digicel as members of the West Indies team.

This matter is now in the hands of Justice Adrian Saunders, acting chief justice of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States Supreme Court. Both parties are expected to meet with Saunders on Monday to air their views on the matter.

Saunders is then expected to make a binding decision by December 15 so the tour of Australia for the VB triangular series that begins on January 14 can go ahead.

Of the 25 players called 14 will be chosen to tour Australia and if the WICB gets its way, then the 14 players will have to sign Match/Tour contracts.

Robertson added: ?Bennett will decide when he wants to name the team for the VB series and we will then make an announcement to that effect. At present as you know, he has all the guys with him in Barbados, and from now it is his calling on when the team will be finalised.?