Windies players seek government intervention

Port of Spain:

Disgruntled West Indian cricketers have written to the Caribbean Community Governments (CARICOM) seeking its intervention to solve their pay dispute with the cricket board that has crippled the game in the country.

In another significant development, West Indies Cricket Board agreed to pay the money it owes to the protesting cricketers under the existing contract
but ruled out a fresh negotiation.

Representing the frontline players who pulled out of the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh, West Indies Players Association wrote to CARICOM Chairman and Guyana President Bharat Jagdeo, seeking his intervention in the current dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and WIPA.

"In the past, CARICOM has played a major role on several occasions in similar situations when Dr. Keith Mitchell, the former Prime Minister of Grenada was very instrumental in resolving some of the issues.WIPA feels confident that the Heads of Government through its Chairman will find a mechanism to resolve these matters," WIPA said in a statement.

"We at WIPA are fully conscious of the importance of cricket to the economy and unity of the region," the WIPA letter read.
"Our players are deeply mindful of this responsibility they shoulder on behalf of this important group of stakeholders. It is, therefore, in this context that we at WIPA wish to have a speedy resolution to these issues," it added.

Jagdeo has communicated with both the WICB and WIPA and a meeting date has been suggested, the statement said.

WICB, meanwhile, announced that the protesting cricketers would soon receive their due money according to the existing contract.

"At present the situation remains the same. We are not going to negotiate under duress and that is final," WICB vice president David Cameron told CMC.
"Presently the wages for the England tour and the India tour are being processed and we will get it to the players as soon as possible," he added.