Lucky Report: WICB, Griffith Respond

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has issued the report of the Sponsorship Negotiation Review Committee (SNRC) and this is now available to the public (Click here to download report - PDF File).

The Board would like to express its appreciation for the work of the SNRC led by its chairman, Mr Justice Anthony Lucky and including Mr Gregory Georges and Mr Avondale Thomas. The Committee, established by the WICB on 1 June 2004 handed its report over to WICB President Mr Ken Gordon on 15 August.

The terms of reference of the committee were:

The Committee shall review and examine all correspondence, transactions, communications, minutes, contracts, records, arrangements and any other relevant information concerning:

i) the negotiations for the renewal of the sponsorship arrangement with C&W; and

ii) the negotiations and conclusion of the sponsorship arrangement with Digicel, in order to determine whether:

* the WICB treated Cable and Wireless fairly in the negotiations;

* an improper relationship exists between WICB and Digicel;

* the new sponsorship arrangement was in the best interests of the WICB and continued cricket development in the West Indies; and

* payments were improperly accepted by members of the WICB as an inducement (members to include Board members, members of the marketing committee, executive staff).

The Board, in making the full report available is also providing its own detailed comments on issues raised by the committee. Also being issued is a letter from the former WICB President Mr Teddy Griffith whose term expired at the last Annual Meeting of the WICB on 7 August, outlining his position on various issues raised by the report.

This package of documents will be tabled at the next regular meeting of the Board of Directors of the WICB scheduled for 24 September in Barbados for follow-up action.

In accepting the recommendations of the SNRC, the Board acknowledges that the review brought to its attention certain deviations from the procedures as outlined in the Memorandum of Articles and Association of WICB Inc with regard to the execution of contracts but as pointed out by the WICB's legal adviser in the British Virgin Islands where the company is registered, these did not invalidate the Sponsorship Agreement with Digicel.

As such the Board does not accept the Committee's view that the contract was "legally flawed'.

The Board also does not accept the Committee's view that Cable and Wireless was treated unfairly in negotiations with the WICB and is confident that the agreement with Digicel is in the best interests of West Indies cricket.

The WICB in its review of the report observed that there was no apparent attempt by the committee to corroborate some of its evidence by reverting to officials of the Board. The Committee also made no apparent attempt to discuss with the WICB lawyers any of the matters relative to the contracts or the negotiation of those contracts. The Board is of the view that these two shortcomings affected adversely an appreciation of the Board's position in the negotiations.

The Board also strongly deplores the imputations against the integrity of some of its officials, in particular its immediate Past President, the Chairman of the Marketing Committee and the CEO.

It should be noted that the Directors of the WICB are drawn from its member boards whose representatives are involved at various levels within their countries. Given the relatively small size of our societies and economies, it is almost impossible for there not to be interaction at some level between directors and sponsors. The Board is clear that the actions of its members and officials were above board and quite proper.

* Download WICB comments to SNRC report. (PDF file)

* Download Teddy Griffith's response to SNRC report. (PDF file)