PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, CMC – Officials of the under-fire Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board said Minister of Sport Anil Roberts was never misled about the decision to allow Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo to play for their Indian Premier League teams in the Champions League Twenty20 last September.
The T&TCB were responding to suggestions from Roberts that they “sold out” the services of Pollard and Bravo for US $240,000 to the CLT20 champions Mumbai Indians and reigning IPL champions Chennai Super Kings respectively, and then lied to him about it. Roberts has demanded an apology from the T&TCB and its president Azim Bassarath, in particular, for public comments made at the time.
“We reject the allegation that Mr. Bassarath lied to the Ministry, which we find outrageous and totally [unnecessary],” said the T&TCB in a media release.
“The T&TCB has been forthright and above board in all their dealings with the Ministry. In fact, the Minister is on record of having recently praised the T&TCB for meeting all the requirements of his Ministry.”
The T&TCB release explained that Pollard and Bravo were not included on the final roster of 15 submitted to organisers on August 4 last year due to uncertainty about the players’ eligibility.
The national governing body said in the media release that they were informed the next day that they were not entitled to the US $150,000 payable per player for allowing them to play with the IPL and this information was passed on to the Ministry of Sport.
The T&TCB said they only got the money after all the participating teams had submitted their final squads, and Ernest Hiliare, chief executive of the West Indies Cricket Board, intervened.
The ruling body noted they used the money to pay outstanding bills as financial assistance from the Government had all but dried up last year.
They said the money was also accounted for in their annual financial statement, which becomes public knowledge after being tabled at its executive meeting.
