PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The West Indies Players Association has embraced the intervention by CARICOM in their bitter dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board, and has committed itself to ensuring a positive outcome to the impasse.
On Friday, CARICOM’s Prime Ministerial Sub-committee on Cricket waded into the raging feud, outlining a number of initiatives geared at ending the standoff between the two parties
“The West Indies Players Association wishes most sincerely to thank the CARICOM Prime-Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket under the Chairmanship of President Bharrat Jagdeo of Guyana for the speedy and positive steps taken to resolve the recent challenges faced in West Indies Cricket,” WIPA said in a release yesterday.
“WIPA would also like to recognize the important contribution made by Sir Shridath Ramphal in the mediation process and in bringing us to this point.
“WIPA accepts the recommendations reached on 11th September, 2009 by the Prime-Ministerial Sub- Committee and will do all it can to ensure implementation of the same including participation in the two special arbitrations identified and restart negotiations under this process.”
CARICOM said they had intervened in the dispute in order to restore “the image and status of West Indies cricket regionally and internationally.”
They rolled out six recommendations which included a request that both WIPA and the WICB return to the bargaining table to iron out outstanding issues. Additionally, CARICOM have requested that boycotting players make themselves available for selection in keeping with Board requirements and have also asked that the WICB agree to sponsor’s fees traditionally paid to players pending the special arbitration.
WIPA, who have been accused by the WICB of not taking the recently failed mediation process seriously, said they were fully on board with the new development.
“The West Indies players and their representative organization WIPA are fully cognizant of cricket’s role in the Caribbean and want to state clearly our commitment to any process that seeks to return West Indies cricket to its prominent status in the world game and will do its utmost to make this possible,” the players’ union said.
The row over contracts led to makeshift squads being selected for the recent Bangladesh series and the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa, as the leading players made themselves unavailable.
