PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) is accusing outgoing WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire of making misleading statements concerning a recent ruling in favour of West Indies cricketer Ramnaresh Sarwan.
A statement by WIPA late yesterday cited media reports containing comments from Hilaire blaming the Memorandum of understanding (MOU) and the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) as the reasons for the arbitrators ruling.
WIPA has expressed shock at the comments attributed to and says they do not properly disclose the findings in the ruling by renowned counsel Seenath Jairam.
“The West Indies Players Association is shocked by the recent statement made by the WICB CEO Ernest Hilaire concerning the Ramnaresh Sarwan Arbitration ruling and award made by renowned Senior Counsel and now President of the Law Association, Mr. Seenath Jairam S.C” said WIPA.
“WIPA is of the view that the purported statements made by Hilaire are misleading, and do not properly disclose the findings in Mr. Jairam’s ruling”.
The WIPA release did not quote Hilaire directly nor said which media house reported the comments.
However a recent edition of the Trinidad express quoted the WICB CEO as saying the issue was over and he preferred not to comment on a matter he felt had been “distorted”.
The Express also quoted Hilaire as saying he “strongly believes” West Indies cricket cannot afford to “go back to the old days’.
Sarwan was awarded $1 million, and the ruling agreed that the Guyanese cricket had been “publicly denigrated and humiliated”
Arbitrator Jairam found the WICB guilty of all charges brought against it by (WIPA) and ruled that the WICB had to pay Sarwan damages for loss of retainer contract, breach of contract and loss of reputation.
The WICB CEO is in his last month in the position, after which he will take up a new post as St Lucia High Commissioner to London.
