Windies board no closer to solving dispute

After a lengthy teleconference call yesterday, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) appears no closer to a definitive solution to the contracts dispute with the players that has placed West Indies' tour of Sri Lanka in jeopardy.

A terse two-paragraph communiqué, issued through the WICB's corporate communications manager Leonard Robertson, shed absolutely no light on the discussions of the executive committee yesterday morning. "The executive committee of the board of directors of the WICB met on June 23 and discussed ways of ensuring that the West Indies meets its obligations under the International Cricket Council's Future Tours Programme," the communiqué said. It added that the WICB will release a full statement on the matter at a later date, and confirmed that three of the 13 players to make themselves available for the tour to Sri Lanka had accepted the invitation at the deadline date of June 21.

Incumbent captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, fast bowler Daren Powell, and uncapped wicketkeeper/batsman Denesh Ramdin are the three players who have agreed to the terms. It is understood that the WICB may issue letters of invitation to another batch of players for the tour as one of its options.

The executive committee of the WICB were forced to hold an emergency teleconference early yesterday morning after only three players accepted the contractual terms for the tour. Meanwhile, WIPA executive president Dinanath Ramnarine wanted to assure cricket fans that the association was very anxious to have the tour to Sir Lanka proceed, but added it must act to protect its members' rights and interests.

Ramnarine has put forward three conditions under which the tour could proceed, but they have apparently been spurned by the WICB. "WIPA proposes that both WICB and WIPA agree to binding arbitration set for a fixed date of all issues and questions either party may have," the association outlined in a news release.

Ramnarine added: "Clause 5 of the present match/tour contract be adjudicated by Justice Adrian Saunders at a date and time to be agreed, and in the event of the WICB being in breach in its present match/tour contract to Sri Lanka, then the WICB shall compensate the players at a rate agreed or by further negotiation to settle the matter. He continued: "And the players' sponsorship fee for the Sri Lanka tour to be negotiated and agreed between the WICB and WIPA on or before Monday, June 27."

Ramnarine said WIPA believed this approach would not only ensure the tour goes on, but allow matters to be settled for the future, so that it would be unlikely to have such difficulties recur. West Indies are set to face Sri Lanka in two Tests, before tackling the hosts and India in a three-way limited-overs international competition.