WICB-WIPA tussle worsens

The ongoing impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Players' Association (WIPA) deepened when the board alleged that the WIPA did not meet the deadline to resolve the sponsorship issue. Roger Brathwaite, chief executive of WICB, told CMC Radio, "We have been told that we can expect a response from WIPA soon, and an announcement about the latest position will be made later in the week."

WIPA reacted strongly to the board's claims, accusing them of undermining the integrity of the players. According to the press release issued by Dinanath Ramnarine, president and CEO of WIPA, the players association had responded to WICB in the time frame promised, and had submitted a counter proposal to the WICB on February 19. A week later, the WICB responded to this on February 24th with its own counter proposal and gave WIPA a deadline of February 25th to respond.

Ramnarine further stated that it wasn't possible for WIPA to respond at such short notice for two reasons - the first being that the WIPA's legal representatives were not available to give their advice on the matter and, the sceond, that WIPA had to seek its members' consensus on the revised proposal of the board. "Because the members reside in islands across the Caribbean it would not be possible to get feedback from all of them in time. The President of WIPA therefore advised the WICB that, recognising the urgency of the negotiations, the WICB would have WIPA's reply by March 2nd. WIPA has kept to its promise and submitted its reply to the WICB earlier today."

The two parties have been engaged in this imbroglio since last December, when the board awarded team sponsorship to Digicel, bringing the players' personal endorsement deals with Cable and Wireless, a rival of Digicel, in conflict.