WICB: Let Arbitrator Rule on C&W Contracts

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) wants Caricom arbitrator Justice Adrian Saunders to issue a binding ruling on the nature of the contracts between Cable & Wireless and seven West Indies cricketers.

Facing accusations that it acted as judge, jury and executioner throughout the dispute, the WICB said the arbitrator's review of the C&W contracts "would be to determine whether the personal endorsement contracts were unquestionably in the nature of individual contracts and contained no provisions, which could be construed as passing off by the Player of his connection with the West Indies team by attribution or by defining himself as a member of the team."

The board said that WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine had also "agreed to that process in a meeting on 24 March 2005."

"The Board proposed that such a review by the Adjudicator should be completed prior to the end of the 1st Test on April 4 2005," the WICB added.

The WICB made it clear the axed players, including Brian Lara, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Chris Gayle would "not be considered eligible for selection" until that review process by the adjudicator was completed with a binding decision.

In direct response to chatter that a protest action by the players might disrupt the first Test in Guyana, the WICB insisted that this process had no bearing on the validity of the match/tour contracts signed by the Players last week.