Even though the IPL itself, as a part of the official Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and, by extension, the International Cricket Council (ICC), has ruled that the priority of any of its players must be to their national teams, Hunte’s fears would have been validated by a letter from the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) during last month’s series against Zimbabwe concerning Kieron Pollard’s position.
The WIPA claimed that Pollard’s selection on the West Indies team meant that he would miss the first two matches of the IPL season for the Mumbai Indians, causing him to lose a portion of his US$790,000 contract.
It reportedly stated that its lawyers, acting on behalf of Pollard who is not on contract to the WICB, would sue for loss of earnings.
Under the IPL’s own regulations, Pollard would not have been accepted even if he had opted out of the Zimbabwe series and headed off for India. As it turned out, he played in all the matches against Zimbabwe, delaying his departure.
The WICB confirms the receipt of the letter but is not disclosing where the matter lies at present. Even so, it is a sign of the times should any player seek to place his commitment to a foreign domestic team, however lucrative, above that to the West Indies.
