BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC – West Indies Cricket Board directors were scheduled to hold an emergency meeting at 3 pm yesterday, to discuss the one-day squad’s controversial decision to quit the ongoing tour of India.
This follows the Board’s terse denial earlier that they had withdrawn the team from the tour, an assertion made by the Indian Cricket Board (BCCI) and which was also widely reported by international media.
The BCCI said in a statement that they had been informed by the WICB that they were cancelling the “rest of its ongoing tour to India because of a dispute with its players, and has advised the BCCI that its players will return home immediately.”
However, CMC Sports has obtained a copy of a letter sent to WICB president Dave Cameron by Windies players’ representative, Dwayne Bravo, just prior to the fourth ODI yesterday, informing that they were no longer willing to continue the tour.
Bravo, also the ODI captain, said the players were “extremely disappointed” by the WICB’s failure to intervene in their impasse with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), and having found no recourse either through WIPA, could not be “party to this grave injustice.”
“Mr. President, having taken the field in good faith, appealed to WIPA to address our concerns to no avail and asked the WICB to demonstrate with action, what is often bandied about in words, namely that they are interested in player welfare and partnership, it seems to us that there has been no reciprocal action,” the letter from Bravo read.
“As a consequence and as a matter of principle, we cannot be party to this grave injustice. The players regretfully wish to advise that they can no longer accept this situation which have affected each and every player in a very negative way.
“The players are under tremendous stress and undue pressure. We have informed the Manager and Coach of our decision to return home with the hope that these issues will be addressed to the satisfaction of all.”
The West Indies players have been locked in an impasse with WIPA in recent weeks over what they claim is a significant reduction in their earnings because of the conditions contained in the Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding, which WIPA recently signed with the WICB.
They had also threatened strike action prior to the first ODI in Kochi but subsequently took the field.
Following a heated exchange of letters with the Wavell Hinds-led WIPA – made public by several leaked emails – the players wrote to the WICB informing that they no longer recognized the players union as their bargaining agent, and appealing to the Board for its intervention.
The players had also requested the Board return to the old agreement in the interim.
However, the WICB rejected both suggestions, stressing it would stand by the new CBA/MOU and only recognize WIPA as the bargaining agent for West Indies players.
In the latest letter to Cameron, the players described the new CBA/MOU as “wholly unjust and unfair” and reiterated they had not been fully apprised of its terms.
“Mr. President, as you recognized in your response, the players acted in good faith and played the first three ODIs with the high expectation that the matter would be resolved or a clear pathway for an acceptable resolution identified,” Bravo said in the letter.
“This must be viewed in the context that we have played without any knowledge of the purported new MOU and having been advised by WIPA not to sign the match/tour contract. In other words, we are playing without having agreed the terms and conditions. This therefore means that we have no real coverage in place for medical, insurance, security and many other terms and conditions that come with being an international cricketer.”
He continued: “The players’ issue is that there has been no resolution, no mandate, no consultation, no prior Board approval as far as WIPA is concerned and yet there is an agreement of unreasonable terms and conditions.
“In addition to the issue of deficient representation there is a case that the purported MOU may be wholly unjust and unfair and the new salary structure is untenable. In these circumstances the players feel there is sufficient basis to ask for its termination and its renegotiation.”
The players also hit back at the WICB’s advice for them to sort the issue out with WIPA “in the appropriate manner as provided for by the rules of your Association.”
“It is therefore not a true representation to say this is solely an issue between players and their representative,” the players said.
“The WICB had a duty to be sure that all partners and stakeholders were aware and understood the consequences of such a fundamental change as is being proposed.”
The Windies lost the fourth ODI in Dharamsala by 59 runs and are now expected to return home without contesting Monday’s final ODI in Kolkata or the Twenty20 International two days later.
West Indies were also scheduled to play a three-Test series beginning October 30th.
The BCCI have drafted in Sri Lanka for a hastily arranged five-match ODI series.
