Statement from Stanford 20/20

– offered valuable sponsorship rights to which Digicel was not entitled
Coolidge, Antigua –  Stanford 20/20 is disappointed, though not surprised by Digicel’s latest press release of September 21 2008 relating to its dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) arising from the Stanford Super Series.

Stanford 20/20 has no wish to conduct its business through the media but feels it must respond to the inaccurate and misleading statements being issued by Digicel in this regard.

Digicel first made public its proposal to Stanford 20/20 on September 11, 2008. Stanford 20/20 returned a counter-proposal and thought it best to allow Digicel ample time to respond without the pressure of media scrutiny. It was only after Stanford 20/20’s counter-proposal was rejected outright by Digicel that Stanford 20/20 brought this to the attention of the media in order that there can be clarity and balance in the reporting of the issue. There is absolutely no merit in Digicel’s latest suggestion that its original compromise solution was “flatly rejected by Stanford”.
After careful consideration with WICB and the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Stanford 20/20 agreed to the majority of Digicel’s original demands even offering valuable sponsorship rights to which Digicel was not entitled under its agreement with WICB and offering to pay Digicel’s legal costs.

Stanford 20/20 declined to meet only one of Digicel’s demands – the demand that the Digicel logo appears on the Stanford Superstars jersey at no cost for a 5 year period.

Digicel has contended repeatedly in the media that it already owns the right for the Digicel logo to appear on the Stanford Superstars jersey and that it has already paid for such rights.

In fact, such claims go way beyond any rights Digicel has in its contract with WICB and, so far as Stanford 20/20 is aware, Digicel has not made any similar claims in its court proceedings against WICB.

Stanford 20/20’s counter-offer addressed all of Digicel’s legitimate rights under its agreement with WICB and so Stanford 20/20 is mystified as to why Digicel publicly continues to demand more.

Stanford 20/20 suspects that such claims are in fact a barely concealed attempt to create media pressure upon Stanford 20/20 in order that Digicel can achieve some commercial advantage beyond that to which it is entitled. It is hard for Stanford 20/20 to understand how such behaviour can be deemed to be in the “best interests of West indies cricket” as Digicel continually claims.

Stanford 20/20 will not be bullied in this way and will respond appropriately to such behaviour under legal advice.
Stanford 20/20 has informed Digicel that should it wish to have its logo carried on the Stanford Superstars jersey the two companies can engage in negotiations for Digicel to come on board as a presenting sponsor for the Stanford Super Series. Digicel has rejected this outright but that offer remains open for discussion as far as Stanford 20/20 is concerned.

Whilst Stanford 20/20 is frustrated by Digicel’s behaviour, it is nothing more than an unwelcome distraction and Stanford 20/20 will not be derailed from moving ahead with preparations for a successful Stanford Super Series.