ST.JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) is refuting a suggestion that it forced veteran cricketer Shivnarine Chanderpaul to retire from international cricket so that he can play in the inaugural Masters Cricket League (MCL) T20 currently underway in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Chanderpaul is claiming that a No Objection Certificate issued to him by the WICB contained a threatening clause which forced him to call time on his international career.
WICB issued NOCs to four players, including Chanderpaul, to facilitate their participation in the MCL, a tournament approved by the International Cricket Council for players who have retired from international cricket.
“I was given a No Objection Certificate by WICB with a clause in it that I retire on the 23rd,” Chanderpaul told ESPNcricinfo.
“If I didn’t announce my retirement they would have taken it back”.
However the WICB said the NOCs were granted on the basis that the players were “well aware of their decisions to retire from international and therefore allowing them to be eligible for participation in the inaugural tournament”.
The other players who were granted NOCs are Tino Best, Krishmar Santokie and Fidel Edwards.
The WICB statement made little reference to Best, Santokie and Edwards but listed Chanderpaul’s series of low scores in his last Test matches.
“Kindly advise by 4:30pm Eastern Caribbean Time on Saturday 23 January, 2016 in writing if you have retired from International cricket,” stated the note from the Operations department of the WICB to the players.
“Should you not indicate by the deadline we will be forced to revoke any NOC issued for the tournament.”
The 41-year-old was sacked last May after playing against England in the Caribbean where he scored 46 and 13 runs in the first Test, one and seven in the second and 25 and 0 in the third.
Chanderpaul is expected to turn out for leaders Guyana Jaguars when the WICB Professional Cricket League (PCL) resumes next week.
