WICB launches verbal broadside on Hall, Stanford 20/20 organisation
The already strained relations between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the Stanford 20/20 organisation neared breaking point last night after a verbal broadside by the WICB on both Wes Hall, a Stanford 20/20 director and a one-time WICB president, and the Stanford group itself. In a media statement following its board meeting in [...]
Compromising principles
The instant Sir Allen Stanford touched down on the hallowed turf at Lord’s in June in that black helicopter with his name emblazoned on the side, revealed his treasure chest filled with US$20 million in bank notes and condemned Test matches as “boring”, the British media saw it as its patriotic duty to wreck any [...]
Twenty20 strangling test cricket
As the powerful storm surge of 20/20 cricket continues to threaten all in its path, events in Mohali last week came as a timely intervention for the traditional game. India’s annihilation of Australia by 320 runs, embellished by Sachin Tendulkar’s march past Brian Lara’s run-scoring record, was a tonic for the waning appeal of Test [...]
Out with the Old!
- WICB sets new standards for team selection Selection to the West Indies team will be based in future primarily on stringent statistical standards presently well beyond the capacity of all but a couple of players. The new initiative was announced by West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive Donald Peters in an address to [...]
Of tropical depressions, troughs, hurricanes and disasters of the WICB’s own making
The London International Court of Arbitration (LICA) has made its ruling. Sir Allen Stanford and Denis O’Brien, the Digicel boss, have settled on an agreement that left the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) little alternative but to rubber-stamp, for the second time, the 20/20 for US$20 million match between the Stanford Superstars and England in [...]
WICB continuing to make a fool of itself
Just what is it with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB)? Its presidents, its directors and its functionaries have, for the most part, been West Indians successful in a myriad of different endeavours and from every territory covered by its footprint. Inevitably, a few charlatans, imposters and egotists have somehow managed to wangle their way [...]
Green light given
-20/20 for US$20M to go ahead Sir Allen Stanford’s massive financial involvement in 20/20 cricket, seemingly in doubt only a day earlier, became entrenched yesterday. The American billionaire confirmed that the 20/20 for US$20 million match between his Stanford Superstars and England at his ground in Antigua on November 1 had been salvaged following an [...]
Still on
- A trans-Atlantic telephone conversation between Sir Allen Stanford and Denis O’Brien has paved the way for the 20/20 for US20m to go ahead A “COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT”, reportedly finalised after a trans-Atlantic telephone conversation between Sir Allen Stanford and Denis O’Brien, head of Irish mobile phone company Digicel, sponsors of West Indies cricket, has opened [...]
Stanford 20/20 match in doubt as LICA rules in favour of Digicel
Directors of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) are this morning considering the ramifiactions of yesterday’s judgement of the London Court of International Arbitration (LICA) in favour of its main sponsor, Digicel, that has thrown into doubt its officially approved, US$20 million match between the Stanford Superstars and England, scheduled in Antigua on November 1. [...]
Deyal fires back!
- Former WICB corporate secretary Tony Deyal gives evidence before London International Court of Arbitration on behalf of DIgicel In an ironic twist to the latest row afflicting West Indies cricket, Tony Deyal has given evidence before the London International Court of Arbitration (LICA) on behalf of Digicel in its case against the West Indies [...]
Signs of progress amidst the doom and gloom
At last a few snippets of encouraging news for West Indies cricket to counter, at least partially, the ever present gloom and doom. The Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) has given an overdue indication that the Sir Everton Weekes Centre of Excellence at Kensington Oval, opened by Sir Everton on June 20, is finally ready for [...]
Caught in the middle
- Tony Cozier says the WICB often seen to be promoting one scrap or another, now finds itself like legendary boxing promoter Don King, smack in the middle of a heavyweight clash between Digicel and the Stanford 20/20 organisation Unconsciously, but consistently and under whatever dispensation, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has become as [...]
A problem no one wants
West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) chief executive Donald Peters got himself into something of a twist over the widely reported secret last week that Xavier Marshall and Tonito Willett had failed a drugs test at a Stanford 20/20 camp. Peters declared that the WICB has a “zero tolerance policy” on drugs but confusingly added that [...]
‘Atlas’ Chanderpaul setting standards for others to follow
The distance between Shivnarine Chanderpaul and the rest in the ICC’s annual Cricketer of the Year award last week was every bit as absolute as Usain Bolt’s in the 100 metres at Beijing a fortnight earlier. Its impact on a sport for which the West Indies once set the standards but which has now fallen [...]
WICB moving to professionalise WI cricket
After the unedifying distractions of who stumped up the cash to spruce up the president’s office and the latest, inevitably costly row over sponsorship, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) shocked us all last week with a lengthy statement that, for a welcome change, dealt with cricket and nothing but cricket. It came from the [...]