WIPA Calls for Open Inquiry

The West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) late Thursday issued a call for an open inquiry into the administration of cricket in the region.

"It is clear to WIPA that the ongoing behaviour of the [WICB] during this entire exercise raises serious questions regarding the important issue of cricket administration in the Caribbean which in WIPA?s opinion is best addressed by an open inquiry commissioned by Heads of Caricom Governments," the association said in a media statement.

WIPA, which is battling with the WICB to secure a cricketer's right to have a private endorsement contract, said it deliberately refrained from making public statements on the contract dispute in deference to the Caricom prime ministerial sub-committee on cricket but feels it now has an obligation to spell out the facts to the public.

The WIPA statement reads:

The first point is that since the crisis broke, far from adopting a confrontational position, WIPA has actually acceded to the many requests of the Board, including:

a) That full disclosure of the Players? individual contracts be made and that copies of those contracts be provided to the Board for scrutiny even though WIPA?s preferred approach would have been for the contracts to be reviewed by an Independent Arbitrator appointed by Caricom?s Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket.

b) The fact WIPA persuaded the Players to waive the confidentiality clauses in these contracts to ensure that the Board would have the opportunity to have the contracts reviewed by its legal advisors.

c) The fact that WIPA advised the 22 Players to make themselves available for selection as an act of good faith having regard to the Prime Ministerial Sub Committee?s proposals for the resolution of the impasse. This was a clear demonstration of WIPA?s commitment to West Indies cricket and the upcoming tour.

The second point is that WIPA has made all these concessions with the clear knowledge that the Players had engaged in the legitimate exercise of their individual rights, a view which was upheld by the ruling of Justice Adrian Saunders. Unfortunately, WIPA has concluded that the Board has set up its legal advisors as the sole arbiter of these contracts and is therefore likely to come on its own to a final conclusion whether or not the players can fulfill certain unstated obligations to the Board and Digicel.

The third point is that WIPA is convinced that:

• The Board has unilaterally set its own timeline for the naming of a team, ensuring that it takes advantage of the fact that the clock would run out.

• All this has put the 29 Players ( that is the original 22 invited Players and the 7 Cable and Wireless contracted Players) under undue and extreme stress which is inimical to team preparation, team unity and team performance.

It is clear to WIPA that the ongoing behaviour of the Board during this entire exercise raises serious questions regarding the important issue of Cricket administration in the Caribbean which in WIPA?s opinion is best addressed by an open inquiry commissioned by Heads of Caricom Governments.

WIPA reiterates that the best team must be selected on merit and cricketing ability, and the Captain and Vice-Captain should be selected in a transparent manner. Additionally, WIPA believes that its proposals are in the best interests of our Members, the West Indies Cricket Team and West Indies cricket in general.