'Sponsors Must Not Dictate Selection'

The Federation of International Cricketers' Association (FICA) on Thursday called on the WICB to "select the best possible representative side" and to avoid discrimination in its selection policies.

"International sport is about the best competing against the best and it demands discrimination-free selection policies. There is an obligation to select the best possible representative side and not to preclude players from selection just because they have bona fide endorsement obligations to a competitor of the team sponsor," FICA chief executive Tim May said.

May chided the WICB for omitting seven players, including Brian Lara and Ramesh Sarwan, from the regional side to play South Africa and Pakistan. "I do not wish to comment on the specific details of negotiations that have taken place over the past few months as I have not been directly involved in them,? May said.

"However, I will comment on one of the fundamental pillars of international sport and the game of cricket that appears to have been ignored by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)."

He added: "It is an incredibly sad day when a country bases its selection policy on players' personal sponsorship contracts with commercial organisations rather than ability.

"Commercial sponsors of cricket are a critical part of the financing of the game, however such relationships should never dictate which players can or cannot be selected in a representative team,? May said. "The West Indies cricket team belongs to the people of the West Indies. It does not belong to a commercial sponsor."

He argued that selection of cricket teams "must be free of all types of discrimination, whether it be as a result of race, colour, religion or commercial considerations."

"I trust that wiser heads will prevail and that immediate positive actions from the WICB will avoid any further dilution of the value of West Indies cricket and the game of cricket," May added.