West Indies players to earn big pay packet

West Indies players could pocket between $200 000 and $300 000 each for just taking part in the World Cup.

This has emerged after an arbitration team mediated yesterday to settle a stand-off between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) over the contentious issues of players' fees and contracts.

It is believed that the 15 players to be selected today will be paid somewhere between US$109 000 and US$149 000 each for their participation in the March 5 to April 28 tournament. This has nothing to do with how far they reach. If they win the tournament, however, they can expect a US$2 million prize, plus additional incentive payments along the way.

Last week it was rumoured that the players could each pocket as much as US$330 000 (BDS$660 000) in appearance fees for the tournament, but this could not be confirmed.

The team of arbiters - Chief Justice Sir David Simmons, Queen's Counsel Elliott Mottley and human resources management specialist Aubrey Armstrong - met with delegations from the WICB and WIPA at Turtle Beach Hotel in Christ Church and came back with a decision shortly after 6 p.m. It has paved the way for the West Indies team to participate in the World Cup. Both sides were tight-lipped about the details, but Dinanath Ramnarine, WIPA president, said there was satisfaction on both sides. "We have agreed," he said. "We asked for arbitration and we have a decision."

Officials from the WICB offered no details after Sir David read the decision. The two sides have decided to issue a joint statement today ahead of the WICB's general meeting at Turtle Beach Hotel and the WIPA awards at Sherbourne Conference Centre.

The latest stand-off was one of many in which the players and their employers have been involved in recent years. Ahead of the last World Cup, there was also a dispute when the players went on strike during the pre-tournament camp.

Last September the two sides signed a memorandum of understanding which was expected to govern all negotiations. Last month, however, ahead of the four-match tour of India, WIPA sent a letter to the WICB indicating that all was not well.