WICB, WIPA to meet to try and break impasse
Wednesday, 1 April 2009
BRIDGETOWN, Mar 31 (AP): The West Indies Cricket Board and the region's players' union will hold crisis talks Thursday to try and break an impasse that threatens to lead to a boycott of the fifth one-day international against England.
WICB president Dinanath Ramnarine is believed to be leading a delegation to meet Julian Hunte, the president of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA), and his representatives in St Lucia to try and save Friday's match.
The deadlock has already seen regional first-class players go on strike, leading to the cancellation 10 days ago of some 11th-round matches in the WICB's four-day competition.
There are five West Indies players who have signed on to the lucrative 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL), a tournament which clashes with the team's tour of England in May. This conflict is one topic certain to be on Thursday's agenda.
WIPA has a long list of concerns with the way the WICB governs cricket in the region, including the contention that the board usually makes decisions without consulting the union as had been previously agreed between the two bodies.
While Ramnarine has declined to make any public statements, West Indies captain Chris Gayle and allrounder Dwayne Bravo have spoken of their frustrations.
"When there are issues to be dealt with, then they should be dealt with," Gayle said Sunday. "I am still disappointed with the way things have gone. I think they (WICB) are still trying to bypass WIPA.''
"We the players actually instruct WIPA to go about what we want at this point in time. It is not the case that WIPA actually goes out on its own and does these sorts of things. We the players ask for these things, these changes."
Bravo said the WICB failed to consult WIPA when agreeing to the tour of England starting in May. Ironically, the West Indies replaced Sri Lanka on the tour because its board opted out of the series to allow its players to take part in the IPL.
WICB president Dinanath Ramnarine is believed to be leading a delegation to meet Julian Hunte, the president of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA), and his representatives in St Lucia to try and save Friday's match.
The deadlock has already seen regional first-class players go on strike, leading to the cancellation 10 days ago of some 11th-round matches in the WICB's four-day competition.
There are five West Indies players who have signed on to the lucrative 2009 Indian Premier League (IPL), a tournament which clashes with the team's tour of England in May. This conflict is one topic certain to be on Thursday's agenda.
WIPA has a long list of concerns with the way the WICB governs cricket in the region, including the contention that the board usually makes decisions without consulting the union as had been previously agreed between the two bodies.
While Ramnarine has declined to make any public statements, West Indies captain Chris Gayle and allrounder Dwayne Bravo have spoken of their frustrations.
"When there are issues to be dealt with, then they should be dealt with," Gayle said Sunday. "I am still disappointed with the way things have gone. I think they (WICB) are still trying to bypass WIPA.''
"We the players actually instruct WIPA to go about what we want at this point in time. It is not the case that WIPA actually goes out on its own and does these sorts of things. We the players ask for these things, these changes."
Bravo said the WICB failed to consult WIPA when agreeing to the tour of England starting in May. Ironically, the West Indies replaced Sri Lanka on the tour because its board opted out of the series to allow its players to take part in the IPL.