In The Papers Today (Oct 5, 2005)

All the major regional newspapers, as well as those in cricketing nations around the world, are reporting on the truce that has been called to allow the West Indies to send their best possible team to Australia later this month.

The West Indies Cricket Board and West Indies Players? Association have resolved that tour contracts will be subject to the contentious Clause 5, which will either be negotiated in finality between the ICC and FICA ten days or referred by the ICC and FICA to an independent arbitrator for a binding decision.

On Tuesday, KFC stepped in with a $3 million sponsorship of the regional one day tournament, a day after competition began writes Garth Wattley in the Trinidad Express. The three year sponsorship deal is effective immediately.

Whilst the West Indies Cricket Board admitted that the agreed sum will not completely cover tournament costs and the details of how the sponsorship money will be used are not available, Chief Marketing Executive Darren Millien said, "You seldom get a sponsorship that is going to cover all of your costs. It will certainly help to defer some of the costs and allow us to focus on some other cricket-related activities."

The Chief Executive Officer of KFC Franchise Prestige Holdings said that eight affiliates in the region have joined KFC in the sponsorship which sees the tournament renamed the KFC Cup.

The paper also reports on Trinidad & Tobago's second straight loss in the KFC Cup on Tuesday, falling to Barbados. Courtney Browne and Ian Bradshaw produced a partnership reminiscent of their showing in the 2004 ICC Champions Trophy.

Rain brought an early finish to the match, with Trinidad & Tobago unable to make the revised total of 238. It was Barbados? first win of the tournament.

Kern de Freitas writes about the measures being taken to prevent ambush marketing at the Cricket World Cup 2007. The strategies include banning congratulatory banners, having ?spotters? looking out for counterfeit merchandise and hiring lawyers.

The campaign against infringement was outlined by Stephen Price, Special Events Officer of CWC 2007, at the Trinidad leg of the World Cup road show on Tuesday.

In the Trinidad Guardian, Vinode Mamchan reports that Brian Lara Stadium will be used as a back-up venue for the World Cup. The stadium will also hold warm up matches for Pakistan, Ireland, South Africa and Canada.

The Barbados Nation carries scorecards for the Jamaica-Windward Islands and Guyana-Leeward Islands KFC Cup matches. The Windwards won by 4 runs, inflicting a second consecutive loss on Jamaica whilst the Guyana and Leewards match ended with a tie.

Sherrylyn Clarke writes that Barbadian cricket officials are cautiously optimistic of R Allen Stanford?s $28 million bequest to West Indies cricket, which was announced in Antigua on Monday.

World Cup Barbados CEO Stephen Alleyne has welcomed the injection into regional cricket, but Rawle Brancker and Tony Marshall are a little more hesitant, with Brancker saying, "I would like to see a bit more, hear a bit more, because I don't fully understand it."

Marshall termed the announcement as interesting but said more details need to be made available.

Guyana?s Stabroek News reports that Garfield Sobers and Ian Bishop have thrown their full support behind the newly announced Stanford 20/20 tournament.

Following the announcement, Sobers declared, ?It's absolutely fabulous for all of those teams which do not normally participate in regional tournament. I am sure they must all be rejoicing at this grand opportunity.?

Bishop was enthusiastic, saying that the initiative presented an opportunity to rejuvenate interest in the game at grass roots level.

In the Jamaica Observer, Colin James also writes about support being given to the concept by administrators, former players and national leaders.

His quotes include Antigua & Barbuda Prime Minister Baldwin Spencer saying the competition is "ambitious" and "revolutionary," and Chris Dehring as declaring that the competition, "sends a message that cricket is alive and well in the Caribbean."

Audley Boyd of the Jamaica Gleaner brings news from the Jamaica World Cup Local Organising Committee head Robert Bryan. According to Bryan, preparations to host the match are on schedule.

This includes work at Sabina Park, the introduction of a park and ride system to enhance free movement around the ground and the development of Greenfield which is being funded by a loan from China.

The West Indies Cricket Board's WindiesCricket.com site is running a story about Bermuda national player Gregg Foggo being jailed for two years for importing over US$30,000 worth of marijuana into Bermuda.

On Monday, a court heard that Foggo was arrested on arrival at Bermuda International Airport with more than 640g of marijuana on him. The cricketer is said to be addicted to the drug.

From Melbourne, where he is doing commentary on the Johnnie Walker Super Series for ABC radio, Fazeer Mohammed offered up some of the positives of the Stanford 20/20 tournament.

Mohammed explained to the mainly Australian audience that the initiative will provide the sort of money that has never been associated with the game of cricket and that the general feeling is this is what is needed to inject life back into the game, not just in terms of money but also what the money can bring to the structure of West Indies cricket.