Players association disappointed with WICB

The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) have accused the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) of once more acting in bad faith by failing to have in place required retainer contracts (RCs) for players of the West Indies. In the view of WIPA this is a most "disappointing development" since, as reliably learnt yesterday, there have been frequent reminders by the Association to the WICB's management.

Ken Gordon, President of the WICB, was unavailable for comment either at home or at the Board's office in Port-of-Spain. He is reported to be attending the football World Cup in Germany. But reached by phone in St Lucia, where he is attending the second test between West Indies and India, Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA's president and chief executive officer, confirmed that the players were "still, most regrettably and unnecessarily", without retainer match or tour contracts.

Ramnarine said that at this stage he preferred not to "deal with the problem in any detail" until the WICB has had the opportunity to give a response to WIPA's "latest reminder to honour commitments we had accepted in good faith...commitments that are yet to be realised to the players who are making commendable efforts on the field, as shown against Zimbabwe and now in the duel with India".