A director of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has revealed that players who boycotted the recent home series against Bangladesh could return for the Test series in Australia in November and December if they participate in the regional limited-overs tournament in October.
“All players are expected to make themselves available for the regional one-day tournament, and, as such, would be in contention for a place on the team for the tour of Australia,” Paul Campbell, president of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), told the Jamaica Daily Gleaner.
Campbell did not elaborate.
The 13 players originally selected for the first Test against Bangladesh last month pulled out three days before the match on instructions from the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) as a protest against stalled contractural negotiations with the WICB. Several others were known to have declined to take their places.
Although they made themselves available through a memorandum of understanding between the WICB and the WIPA setting up a mediation process under former Commonwealth Secretary General Sir Shridath Ramphal, they were excluded from the team for the ICC Champions Trophy in South Africa next month.
That team comprises basically the same players under 37-year-old left-handed batsman Floyd Reifer who played in the two Tests and three ODIs against Bangladesh, all of which the West Indies lost before a consolation victory in the final match, a Twenty20 International.
Another WICB director, Joel Garner, the former Test fast bowler who is president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) said on CBC Radio on the weekend that it was important to show loyalty to those who faced Bangladesh.
He stressed that it was time players realised that representing West Indies should be an honour.
“I think you have to reward the people that have been loyal to you and, at the end of the day, they (the WIPA players) withdrew their services,” he stated.
“I do not think that we’ve asked the players that are playing cricket for West Indies to take up a gun and go to war, or anything like that,” he added. “It is a case of national duty and representing the region, and I think that is an honour.”
“I think the time has come when (the WICB) has to draw the line and try to get the players to understand that there is a sacrifice that has to be made. We can’t keep doing things business as usual. We have to look to see how best we can improve West Indies cricket.”
