Two Sides To The Impasse (4 November 1998)

4 November 1998

Two Sides To The Impasse

The Barbados Nation

For the benefit of readers, we reproduce the statements from both sides in the latest West Indies cricket controversy.

Captain of the West Indies cricket team, Brian Lara, and vice-captain, Carl Hooper, have not gone on to South Africa from Bangladesh as planned.

They have voiced concern over the fees for the tour of South Africa and have instead gone to England.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) will convene an emergency meeting today to discuss the matter and a full statement will be made by the president, Pat Rousseau, following that meeting. Lara and Hooper are being invited to today's meeting.

Rousseau said that the WICB had reached agreement with the players' representative body, the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA), on fees for the South Africa tour.

He said that the players' action was therefore particularly surprising and went against the instructions issued in writing by the manager, Clive Lloyd.

Mr. Rousseau said that his understanding at the present time is that the rest of the team is travelling to South Africa.

The West Indies Players Association Inc. (WIPA) wishes to advise that it made an offer to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) with respect to fees for the upcoming tour to South Africa.

The monetary offer was subsequently accepted by the WICB but there are issues surrounding the acceptance with which the WIPA is not in agreement.

The WIPA wishes to further advise that it requested an emergency meeting with the WICB in London which was to be attended by Brian Lara, Carl Hooper, Courtney Walsh and James Adams.

This request was denied by the WICB. Lara and Hooper, the vice-president and the players' representative of the WIPA, respectively, subsequently flew to London to meet with the president of the WIPA, Courtney Walsh, and other members of the team who are currently in London.

Therefore, statements in the media to the effect that Lara and Hooper have abandoned the tour to South Africa are unfounded and untrue.

The WIPA eagerly looks forward to collaborating with the WICB to resolve this issue. The players wish to reaffirm their total commitment to West Indies cricket and their keenness to take part in the upcoming series.

Source :: The Barbados Nation (https://www.nationnews.com/)