Windies board to decide on players' fate

Brian Lara and six others will know the board's verdict soon © Getty Images Enlarge

The ongoing contract dispute which threatens to rip West Indies cricket apart will be at the core of discussions when the national selectors meet today. The issue is simple. Will the board back or sack the seven players who have personal deals with Cable & Wireless.

The announcement of the West Indies squad for the first Test against South Africa, which was supposed to be announced on Friday (March 18), has been delayed by a day to allow the selectors and the board time to consider all options.

In a brief press statement, the board said that it was discussing the personal contracts with its lawyers and it would "then be in a position to advise the selectors with respect to the eligibility of those players." Apart from Lara, the six other players involved are Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Fidel Edwards and Ravi Rampaul.

The key is whether the lawyers find that there is anything in the contracts which could result in a breach in the board's four-year contract with Digicel. If there is not, and providing certain other conditions are met, then the selectors, who meet in Antigua, will probably be given a free hand.

That will lead to sighs of relief across the Caribbean, but is unlikely to be the last word on the subject.