Ramnarine allegations 'absolute rubbish'

Cricinfo has found no evidence to support comments made by Dinanath Ramnarine, the president of the West Indies Players' Association, that players have been threatened and intimidated during the current sponsorship dispute.

Ramnarine, whose role in the row is coming under increasing scrutiny, claimed that players had faced "overwhelming pressure including death threats, and threats from the WICB never to play again ... threats and intimidation from sponsors, and pressure from the highest political levels within the length and breadth of the Caribbean community."

The West Indies board dismissed the comments as "highly emotional and totally inaccurate," adding that they were "most unbecoming and unworthy of an organisation representing professional sportsmen." A source at Digicel said the claims were "utter nonsense".

And Michael Holding was equally forthright. "It's absolute rubbish," he told Sky SPorts. "No player has even mentioned it. They have been under pressure from many parties - WIPA, Cable & Wireless, the public - but no death threats."

And Cricinfo spoke to representatives of some of the players involved who denied any knowledge of the allegations purporting to involve their clients. One said there had been pressure, but pointed out it had come from representatives of Cable & Wireless and WIPA.

Ramnarine's outburst came following the announcement that Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan had decided to terminate their personal contracts with C&W. But it now seems that both players had been trying to withdraw for more than a fortnight but they had been stalled by C&W and WIPA officials.

The conduct of Ramnarine in recent weeks has been increasingly volatile, and his latest outburst hardly seems to be in the best interests of the bulk of players who he should be representing.