Stanford bust up won't affect Windies cricket: Hunte

London:

West Indies Cricket Board on Wednesday said it's finances were safe and it would not be affected by the fraud charges levelled against Texan billionaire Allen Stanford.

"I want to make it clear that the financial viability of West Indies cricket has never depended on Stanford's largesse, and thank God for that because we are now able to proceed," WICB president Dr Julian Hunte said after US federal agents froze Stanford's assets following raids at his Houston Company headquarters.

Stanford, who had signed a five-year deal with WICB, did not have a smooth relationship with the board.

Stanford had virtually hijacked the domestic Twenty20 tournament and was then involved in a legal dispute with WICB sponsors Digicel.

"When Stanford indicated a few months ago that he was no longer interested in West Indies cricket, it was suggested that we were financially dependent on his money," Hunte was quoted as saying in 'The Times'.

"I had to point out that before Stanford's domestic tournament we issued him a licence which brought us in $1 million a year for five years. He didn't pay the first year and when we got a tripartite agreement between the ECB, the WICB and him we insisted that he pay and we got $2 million.

"Apart from that, Stanford dealt with the local territorial boards and gave them money, but it ended up with him suspending payments to them and I assume those payments will now stop."

But Hunte insisted he was still open to resuming talks with Stanford provided he gets his name cleared from the forgery case.

"I just want to thank him for what he has done for West Indies cricket and hopefully the allegations will turn out not to be true so that we will be able to work together again," he said.