PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) could be asked to rule in the bitter dispute between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).
This was disclosed by WICB’s external legal counsel, Derek Ali during a press conference here yesterday.
Mediation talks, headed by former Commonwealth secretary general Sir Shridath Ramphal, broke down last week after the feuding parties failed to find common ground.
“With talks breaking down at the last moment during the mediation, the issues will now have to be taken to the Caribbean Court of Justice for arbitration,” Ali revealed.
The new move is the latest twist in the impasse which has engulfed West Indies cricket over the last month and crippled the regional team, resulting in under strength squads being selected for the recent Bangladesh tour and the upcoming Champions Trophy in South Africa.
The subsequent attempt to broker a solution failed, with the WICB being criticized for having produced a document during negotiations which served to thwart any positive outcome.
This, however, was refuted by the WICB’s industrial relations consultant Gerald Pinard who said the governing body for cricket in the region had done no wrong by sending the document to Sir Shridath.
“We hear talk that the WICB sent in a document that derailed the process and we walked out,” Pinard said.
“This is surprising to hear because what we sent in was a draft agreement outlining what was agreed upon and what was to go to arbitration. This document sent to Sir Shridath on August 31 was not much different from the first one we sent in on August 29.”
Ali claimed that once the document was introduced, the mediation process was brought to a halt.
WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine said earlier this week his organisation would meet in Guyana today to discuss its next move.
