Board to go public with sponsorship report

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is expected to make public the report submitted by the Sponsorship Negotiation Review Committee (SNRC) within ten days. Following detailed and extensive discussions, the Executive Committee of the WICB said in a news release that they had decided to make the report available to the public, along with the board's comments.

The Executive Committee met on Sunday in Antigua and among items on the agenda was consideration of the report from the SNRC, that comprised Justice Anthony Lucky (chairman), as well as accounting professionals Gregory Georges and Avondale Thomas.

Excerpts from the report have appeared in the media over the last few weeks. A newspaper reported yesterday that the board intended to challenge the findings of the SNRC Report, since they believe there are a number of contradictions in the document.

The committee was set up under Teddy Griffith, the previous WICB president, to review and examine all correspondence, transactions, communications, minutes, contracts, records, arrangements and any other relevant information concerning the WICB's switch of major sponsors from Cable & Wireless to its main telecommunications rival Digicel, . The report was presented to Ken Gordon, the new president, on August 15.

The committee was asked to determine whether the WICB treated Cable & Wireless fairly in the negotiations; whether an improper relationship exists between the board and Digicel; whether the new sponsorship arrangement was in the best interests of the board and continued cricket development in the West Indies; and whether payments were improperly accepted by members of the WICB as an inducement.