Rain, No Play

Proving that it hasn't learned anything from the contract dispute that took place before this current English tour and before the World Cup and before the India tour in January and ...well you get the point, the WICB is making plans for the West Indies to play 20/20 matches in a Tournament in Toronto, Canada in August as well as for an A team tour to Zimbabwe in July. Problem is, neither of these tours is listed in the ICC Future Tours Programme, and unlike with this English tour, the issue is clear cut. In a situation like this the MoU signed by WIPA and the WICB just last September requires that both parties agree to these tours. So far, it seems that the WICB has not contacted WIPA about the tours. I guess one dispute at a time...

Caribbeancricket.com reported today that the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) will advise the players to sign the contracts to be offered by the WICB for the upcoming tour to England, "subject to the decision of the arbitration panel."

The dispute was sent to an arbitration panel chaired by Barbados Chief Justice David Simmons, after the WICB and WIPA differed over whether the upcoming tour was part of the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP). According to the MoU signed by WIPA and the WICB in September of last year, the players would be entitled to additional monies for tours outside of the FTP. WIPA believes that this tour is outside the FTP, while the WICB claims otherwise.

From emails released today by WICB Corporate Secretary, Tony Deyal, it appears that the WICB may have arguments in its favour. The original FTP devised in 2001 did not include this current tour to England. This tour was, however, agreed to by the WICB and England's ECB in early 2006 before the FTP was revised by the ICC later that year. Hence it was included in the FTP as an "additional" tour as England and the West Indies would have otherwise met their minimum requirements of matches for the FTP. According to Dave Richardson, GM of the ICC "It is quite clear therefore that the England Tour, although additional to the minimum requirements (and thus indicated as such), is part of the FTP."  read more »

WICB CEO, Bruce Aanensen

The current impasse between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players Association (WIPA) could potentially result in WIPA calling a strike and the tour to England being cancelled.

At issue is whether the upcoming tour, which starts in under 2 weeks, is part of the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP). Any tours outside of the FTP would require additional negotiations and more pay according to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between WICB and WIPA. According to cricinfo.com, the WICB had previously agreed with WIPA that the tour was outside of the FTP, but had only recently arrived at its current position that the England tour was part of the FTP and hence the players should get no extra money.

The dispute has been put before an arbitrator in Barbados, whose ruling will be binding. However the arbitrator, Barbados Chief Justice David Simmons is not expected to rule before the departure date for the team on May 8th.

WICB CEO Bruce Aanensen (pictured above) is confident that the tour will go ahead however, with or without the regular players. He believes that the MoU precludes players who have retainer contracts from going on strike while a dispute has been referred to an arbitrator. He also states that in the event of a strike, the WICB will "move to the next set of players until we get a team of 15".  read more »

"I wish to point out that the players have, with much reluctance, agreed to participate in this tour. Much effort was required to persuade them to wear a sponsor’s logo without being the recipient of any benefits from such a sponsor." - Dinanath Ramnarine, President WIPA (according to Ryan Patrick).

The above quote is purportedly from Dinanath Ramnarine, President of the West Indies Players Association in a letter addressed to WICB President Ken Gordon about the just concluded tour to India. The document was obtained by CaribbeanCricket.com and its full text can be read here. The details of the reported dispute can be read in this article on CaribbeanCricket.com.  read more »