Guyana president to intervene in row

Guyana president Bharat Jagdeo will meet separately with officials from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) in an attempt to resolve the vexed row over player contracts.

Last week the West Indian players currently boycotting the series against Bangladesh had asked the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) to help solve the impasse. According to the WICB Jagdeo, the current chairman of CARICOM's heads of government, has agreed to talk with the board as well.

Confirming Tueday's meeting, attorney-at-law Gerard Pinard, a member of the WICB's negotiating team, told the Caribbean Media Corporation: "WIPA had asked president Jagdeo as chairman of CARICOM to intervene in the current dispute and as a matter of courtesy he has also extended an invitation to the WICB to meet with him. We are not meeting together with WIPA. We will meet at 12 noon, and they will meet at another time during the day.

"When the president of Guyana and the chairman of CARICOM invites you to a meeting you have to go and meet with him. We are hoping for the best to come out of this situation and we will be going into that meeting with a totally open mind."

Pinard will be accompanied by WICB president Julian Hunte, vice-president Dave Cameron, legal officer Alana Medford, and legal consultant Derek Ali.