We acted as responsible employers, says Windies board

The West Indies Cricket Board has denied holding any discussions over the contracts issue with the players in the absence of the West Indies Players' Association. The denial comes in the wake of allegations by Dinanath Ramnarine, the president and chief executive of the players' association, claiming that the board acted in "bad faith" and went against "good industrial relations practice".

Roger Brathwaite, the chief executive of the WICB, who met with the players along with Tony Howard, the team manager, was quoted as saying in The Trinidad Express, "... as any responsible employer, the board thought it fit to let the players know about matters which affect their interests. With the Digicel home series ended, we took the opportunity to speak with them briefly as a group before they departed for their respective homes.

"I told him [Ramnarine] that I took the opportunity to inform the players that the WICB has been trying without success to meet with WIPA since the start of the Digicel home series, but this had not proved possible."

Braithwaite further mentioned that the contract for next month's series in Sri Lanka had been forwarded to WIPA, and hoped that a swift agreement could be reached on the terms and conditions for that tour. West Indies are scheduled to play two Tests followed by a triangular one-day tournament, also involving India.