-threatens legal action against WICB
PORT-OF-SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC-The arbitrator in a dispute between former West Indies middle order batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has refuted claims by the WICB that he did not allow Sarwan to be cross examined.
Senior Counsel Seenath Jairam has written to the WICB threatening legal action, calling for a retraction and dismissing its recent statement on the matter as unfortunate, the Trinidad Guardian newspaper has reported.
Sarwan was awarded tt 1.5 million dollars in damages after winning his case against the WICB over its treatment of him and comments made about his fitness.
“It is a complete untruth to say that the arbitrator did not allow WICB counsel to cross-examine Sarwan on the matters highlighted in the press release.”said Jairam in a letter obtained by the Guardian newspaper of Trinidad and Tobago. “No application for cross-examination or question was posed or sought to be posed to Sarwan on any issue now complained of.”
The arbitrator had ruled in Sarwan’s favour after finding the WICB guilty of breaching the appraisal process, the selection process as well as making public statements denigrating the Guyanese cricketer.
The recent statement from the WICB accuses Jairam of accepting versions of evidence from the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and Sarwan without verification.
“It is also a matter of record that the WICB was given free rein to cross-examine witnesses, including Sarwan, on all matters upon which they saw fit.” Rebutted Jairam in his letter.
“As a disappointed party, the WICB is free to critique the award that was delivered but it is unacceptable to misrepresent the events which transpired during the actual arbitration.”
