-Sir Shridath to take up role
After two weeks of conflict which saw a second-string team being pressed into action against Bangladesh, the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have agreed to mediation following a meeting with CARICOM Chairman, President Bharrat Jagdeo.
The parties met at the Office of the President yesterday and they signed a memorandum of understanding there, potentially bringing an end to the impasse between the two parties and the strike by the West Indies cricket team.
WIPA had written to President Jagdeo asking him as CARICOM Chairman to intervene, reminiscent of the intervention by former prime minister of Grenada, Keith Mitchell when he was chairman, to bring back a state of normalcy to West Indies cricket.
WIPA President Dinanath Ramnarine (left) and Dr Julian Hunte, WICB Presi-dent, shake hands to signify the completion of the agreement between the two parties, as CARICOM Chairman, President Bharrat Jagdeo looks on. (Office of the President photo)
President Jagdeo brought together Dr Julian Hunte, President of the WICB and Dinanath Ramnarine, President of the WIPA and other representatives of the two organizations at the Office of the President yesterday to negotiate a truce between the two parties in the interest of West Indies cricket.
Senior West Indies players including captain Chris Gayle, Guyanese Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan and others had boycotted the recently-concluded two-test series in the Caribbean against Bangladesh, forcing the WICB to raise a second-string team that was defeated 2-0.
The outstanding issues between the two sides revolve around the failure of the WICB to pay the players for the last four tours and to provide them with retainer contracts.
The Head of State, who assumed the CARICOM Chairmanship on July 1, had moved quickly to resolve the outstanding issues between the parties, given the importance of West Indies cricket to the region.
Jagdeo met with the representatives of the two organizations separately to establish their requirements, before bringing them together to iron out their outstanding issues.
According to a press release from the Office of the President, the two parties have reached agreement for the immediate mediation of the dispute between them.
Under the agreement, the parties have jointly invited Sir Shridath Ramphal, former Commonwealth Secretary-General, to be the mediator. They have done so on the basis of their mutual acceptance of the importance and urgency of resolving the immediate differences between them, and setting their relationship on a path of lasting cooperation.
It was also agreed that in light of the mediation agreement which the parties expect to lead to the resolution of outstanding issues, all the players will make themselves available for selection.
Speaking with reporters after their meeting with Jagdeo, Ramnarine and Hunte both said that they were happy with the way things have turned out after their talks with the CARICOM Chairman, but said that due to the fact that they have agreed to mediation, there is only so much that they could say.
“The discussion came off well between us and I’m happy, but we can’t say no more but in due time everything would unfold,” the WICB President said. “We are comfortable with what was said here today and the agreement between the two parties but like he (Hunte) said we are under mediation so there is only so much we can say right now, but like I said we are happy,” Ramnarine added.
It was not stated whether the full-strength WI team would return for the two One Day Internationals (ODI) between the West Indies and the touring Bangladesh side scheduled for July 26 and 28 in Dominica.
However, the WICB had named a second string team for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Champion’s Trophy in September which will be held in South Africa but based on the arrangement between the WICB and WIPA, it is presumed that that list would be squashed to make way for the regulars.
Jaggy would be seem as a hero throughout the WI to break this stalemate between the WIPA AND WICB.Good to see the full team back but Travis needs to be on the squad.
Good job Bharrat. If only you would move with such purpose…attached importance to national development…on the vexing issues in Guyana.
At least Bharrat is moving forward, after Burnham/PNC backwards movement for 30 years.
Wonder if the WICB will adhere to the findings of this mediator and act in the interest of improving W/Indies cricket?
Wonder if our players will now become more professional and actually earn the salary that they are demanding by producing performancres worthy of their salaries?
Past history does not inspire confidence.
Looks like this intervention and mediation may take us somewhere to resolving this foolish impasse … Why do we in the West Indies wait until such serious constipation before using some form of laxative …. Anyway, great story by Mr. Toney, again.
Thanks very much President Jagdeo. You continue to demonstrate true leadership.
I am proud of your efforts and I am confident that you will continue to work for the good of all Guyanese as well as the best interest of the common factor in the region – Cricket.
Thanks again Mr. President.
Corbin caught Norton bowled Jagdeo 0 Trotman bowled Jagdeo 01
Not an opportunity is wasted to lambast the govt. So foolish!!!
This intervention/mediation will take nowhere…the mistrust and animosity between WICB and WIPA and some players, personally, is too deep seated and will surface again in the very near future..I continue to say, scrap the West Indies team and let every regional country who so wish, field a team that will have to meet ICC standards because we are simply perpetrating the continued mediocrity that personifies WICB and what we deem to be West Indies cricket…we will again plaster over the sores..the performance of the make-shift team epitomises all that is wrong in our cricket with players simply ignorant to the basics of real cricket..
Very nice. The most senior president in the region with the largest nation did the job.Congratulations to both the president, and the Players Assocation, but not the WICB.The WICB will do the same thing again.
This is just mediation and the continuation of the talk fest. The parties should have committed to binding arbitration and then I would have been more optimistic.
I hope under Sir Shridath Ramphal’s great negotiating skill this impasse can be brought to a rapid conclusion. The W.I.C.B. surely needed some face-saving escape after the results of the last two tests against Bangladesh power house team. Once more a distinguished Guyanese rides to the rescue to save a West Indian institution from disintegration.
To the arrogant Jamaicans, Bajans and Trinis who think their respective islands can compete with the original test teams, I recommend they read history and seek the results of Barbados versus the Rest of the World in 1966. Barbados received a well deserved whipping and that team was extraordinarily good. Now these islands with a total population base of under five million have visions of grandeur to play the likes of England, Australia, India, Pakistan, South Africa and New Zealand. They are lunatics.
I agree with u bora. But any full strenght from Jamaica, Barbados, T&T and Guyana will defeat bangaldesh in test match, so if banagldesh can play test cricket why not those islands/country by themself?