Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 13, 2010 Sports
By Sean Devers
A West Indies Players Association (WIPA) release on Wednesday raised several questions regarding the West Indies and Guyana Cricket Board’s role in the contract dispute between the Guyana players and their board as they prepare to represent the Caribbean in next month’s Champions League 20/20 cricket tournament in South Africa.
When contacted was made late Wednesday night by Kaieteur News, WICB’s new Corporate Communications Officer, Guyanese Imran Khan readily agreed to clarify several points in the WIPA release which was issued by its President Dinanath Ramnarine, who took 45 wickets from 12 Tests for the West Indies with his leg-spin.
The WIPA release stated that the WICB has announced that it intends to retain one third of the participation fee of 500K, adding that it was unaware of any other Board retaining any part of the Participation Fee.
“WIPA is of the view that retaining such a large sum could have a direct negative impact on Guyanese cricket and its players. In fact, WIPA understands that no monies were deducted from the TTCB for last year’s participation.” The WIPA release continued.
Khan conceded that WIPA was correct in claiming that no money was taken from Trinidad and Tobago last year after the twin-Island Republic team played unbeaten until they lost to New South Wales in the Champions League final in India.
However, Khan was quick to explain why the WICB now wants to deduct 33% of the Participation fee from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
“In 2009 the WICB did not stage a regional Twenty20 Tournament and thus did not incur any costs associated with the staging of such a tournament.
As a result the WICB did not retain any percentage of the CLT20 Participation Fee and it was passed on in full to the TTCB.
This year the WICB did stage the Caribbean T20 Tournament at a cost of just over US$2million and the cumulated sponsorships for the tournament did not come close to covering the costs of staging the tournament.” Khan said.
For the first time ever a Regional cricket tournament was televised to an international market with ESPN doing the coverage but the WICB official disclosed that the Regional Board staged the Caribbean T20 Tournament at a loss resulting in the WICB decision to retain one third of the Participation Fee to assist in off-setting these costs.
“WICB reiterates that the significantly larger portion of the Participation Fee – two thirds – will be passed on to the Guyana Cricket Board. The Participation Fee is paid by CLT20 to the WICB for nominating a team from the West Indies to participate in the Airtel Champions League,” Khan revealed.
Khan, who previously served as the Media Manager for the West Indies team, told Kaieteur News that the WICB has a record of publishing audited annual financial statements and when this is next done all monies received for sponsorships will be included as is the usual practice.
The WIPA press release said that the WICB has further stated that neither it nor the GCB can negotiate the use of the players’ image rights and that negotiations should take place directly with the CLT20.
“WIPA doubts that this can be correct because the WICB is obligated under the Team Participation Agreement to procure use of the Players Attributes to ensure the full and successful exploitation of the commercial rights.” WIPA questioned.
In response to this Khan said “the WICB once again clarifies that the Guyana players have already signed the CLT20 Squad Terms. The Squad Terms, among other things, allow CLT20 to use the players’ images in relation to the tournament.”
“With regard to the WICB being involved in the process for ICC tournaments this is simply because the team involved in the ICC tournaments is the West Indies Cricket Team for which the WICB has direct responsibilities.
With regard to the Airtel Champions League it is the GCB which has direct responsibilities for the Guyana Cricket Team, not the WICB,” Khan added.
Further, the WICB Corporate Communications Officer said, if WIPA (as agent for WIPMACOL) wishes to engage in any discussions or negotiations with regard to compensation for use of players’ image rights – taking into consideration that the Guyana players have already agreed to their image rights being utilized by CLT20 by signing the Squad Terms – then WIPA must take this issue up with CLT20 directly, not the GCB nor the WICB.
“The WICB reiterates once again that it is neither the WICB nor the GCB which is utilizing the players’ image rights in relation to the Airtel Champions League” Khan concluded.
Guyana is scheduled to play four preliminary round matches in South Africa from September 12 as they aspire to qualify for the semi-finals and final and although mobile phone service providers Digicel, the official sponsors of the West indies team, is fully supporting the preparations of the Guyana team, a GCB official informed that because the Champions League sponsor Airtel is a telecommunications company, Digicel are not allowed to be a team sponsor in South Africa.
International Series to benefit from intense marketing
– Guyana prepares to host foreign teams
Intense marketing will be one of the strategies that Wildfire Entertainment (WE) will use to garner the necessary support of patrons for the upcoming International Basketball Series that will jump off on August 19 at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall.
Speaking on behalf of WE yesterday, Vijay Panday told Kaieteur Sport that all the ads were to be out yesterday and the company will be going full-fledged to ensure that patrons are informed of perhaps one of the biggest basketball events in local history.
He said that he has received confirmation that the teams will be coming and he knows that Robert ‘Bobby’ Cadogan has been training the local males for some time now. Panday said, with those confirmations, WE can now aggressively target fans.
“It’s a lot of money that goes into organising these type of things but we hope people see it as ‘in aid of local basketball’ and not a money-making thing for Wildfire because we are really doing this to help the local federation,” Panday indicated.
As part of a comprehensive two-year developmental plan the national federation will host one of the first International Series to be held in Guyana in the New Millennium. The Washington D.C Jammers will commence the series next Thursday after their arrival.
The Guyana Amateur Basketball Federation (GABF) President’s XI will play the ‘Jammers’ for the ‘Godwin McPherson Lien Trophy’. In addition, a female South Carolina team is expected in Guyana around the same time next week to face the local females.
Panday revealed that the main sponsors, Giftland OfficeMax, Beepat’s and Digicel are expected to make their presentations today while Forest Enterprise is also on board. He said that their will be local artist and dancers performing on game nights.
However, one of the high points of the tournament will be the handing over of a commemorative plaque to the wife of the late, retired Guyana Defence Force Colonel, Godwin McPherson during the event. McPherson was also President of the GABF.
Generally, Panday said that he believes the tournament will be a good one and encouraged local fans to come out and support their team against the formidable D.C Jammers, who will be aiming to extend their dominance over the Guyana national team.
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