Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Sep 17, 2009 Sports
By Sean Devers
West Indies Cricket Board Director Chetram Singh feels it is now too late to have players in the West Indies team in South Africa replaced and is still hopeful that the region’s best players will be in Australia for their tour Australia from November.
Singh, the President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) since 1991 was speaking with Kaieteur Sports shortly after returning from a WICB meeting in Barbados on Tuesday and the veteran administrator was referring to the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) claim that the depleted West Indies team in South Africa for the Champions Trophy could still be changed.
As the saga revolving around the bitter contractual dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) continue unabated to the detriment of West Indies cricket, Cricinfo reports that the ICC has also gotten involved.
According to the report the ICC is willing to accept a “revised” line-up in the event the industrial relations dispute between the board and the players is resolved. Despite setting an August 11 deadline for national boards to nominate their 15-man squads for the Champions Trophy, the ICC has advised the WICB it would take into account the exceptional circumstances brought on by the labour dispute and allow the likes of Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Denesh Ramdin and Shivnarine Chanderpaul to play at the tournament.
“I don’t think that is possible at this late time. The players are already there and have been training and working hard and a team cannot be changed at the last minute just like that,” Singh said. He added that the players in South Africa have already signed contracts and reminded that if replacement players are selected at this time they would also have to sign contracts.
Singh said that the matter was included as a ‘special item’ at the meeting since it was not on the agenda adding that he had to leave before the meeting (which went later than planned) was completed due to flight issues.
“I looked at them (CARICOM’s recommendations) and I believe that many of them are workable depending. Some of them look straightforward and I think the stake-holders conference which I think is planned for later this year could be helpful in resolving the issues affecting our cricket,” Singh opined. The longest serving Director of the WICB, Singh feels it would be good to hear everybody’s views since the opinions of others could prove useful. He also made it clear that the WICB selectors have been instructed to pick their best possible team from the Regional One-Day competition which starts in Guyana on October 26.
“Once the players participate in the Regional One-Day competition they will be eligible for selection and from what I am hearing they should all be involved and our best team should be traveling to Australia. I am really hopeful things will be sorted out once all involved are truly committed to the process of moving West Indies cricket forward,” Singh said.
He said that it would be good for the tournament and the fans if all of the best players in the region play in the tournament in Guyana.
CARICOM is also trying to assist in salvaging the state of West Indies cricket since the sport is seen as one of the most unifying forces among West Indies from various Islands and cultural background.
Guyana is the only English speaking South American county and is also a part of CARICOM and West Indies cricket since the regional team played its inaugural Test match in England in 1928.
Guyana’s President Bharat Jagdeo, is the Chairman of CARICOM and after a meeting of regional Heads, a six-point list of recommendations to help West Indies cricket was issued by CARICOM. Singh said that while the WICB has the mandate to run cricket in the West Indies, it is always good to listen to various ideas and CARICOM’s recommendations should be looked at.
And WICB Vice-President Jamaican Dave Cameron made it clear the management of West Indies cricket “is the prerogative of the WICB.” “The first line in CARICOM’s communiqué is something I’d like to emphasise. The management of West Indies cricket is the prerogative of the WICB. I commend CARICOM’s for having that foresight,” Cameron said from Barbados.
That line reads: ‘CARICOM Heads of Government have always taken the position that the management of West Indies cricket is the province of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and its affiliate organisations’.
The West play a warm up game against host South Africa tomorrow before opening their Champions Trophy challenge against Pakistan on September 26. West Indies oppose Australia and India in a tough zone for the Floyd Reifer led side
After the regional One-Day competition, West Indies play Australia from November 26 in 3 Tests, 5 ODIs and two 20/20 matches and Cricket Australia is optimistic that the best West Indies team will show up for that series.
Where is the BETTER MANAGEMENT/RENEGOTIATION OF THE OIL CONTRACTS you promised Jagdeo?
Apr 19, 2024
SportsMax – West Indies Women’s captain Hayley Matthews delivered a stellar all-round performance to lead her team to a commanding 113-run victory over Pakistan Women in the first One Day...Kaieteur News – For years, the disciples of Bharrat Jagdeo have woven a narrative of economic success during his tenure... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]