ST JOHN’S, Antigua, CMC – Legendary fast bowler Sir Curtly Ambrose does not expect the recent contracts impasse to have a negative impact on the side’s Twenty20 World Cup campaign.
Sir Curtly, the West Indies team bowling consultant, said the matter between the players and the West Indies Cricket Board had been dealt with and he now expected “smooth sailing” during the March 8 to April 3 event in India.
“From what I have been reading in the media, the players and the board have worked their problems out and the guys have signed the contracts, so I don’t expect any problem because if they didn’t want to go then they shouldn’t sign,” said Sir Curtly who took 405 wickets in 98 Tests.
“The main fact they have signed, I think everything should be smooth sailing going forward.”
The tour was thrown into turmoil recently when captain Darren Sammy, acting on behalf of the squad, told the WICB that the pay structure in the new tour contracts was unacceptable.
Sammy argued that players stood to lose more than half of their income for the event and proposed a return to the old pay structure.
This suggestion was rejected by the WICB.
West Indies enter the tournament as one of the favourites, having won the title in the 2012 edition in Sri Lanka and reached the semi-finals two years ago in Bangladesh.
While stars Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine were forced to pull out of the squad for various reasons, the likes of Chris Gayle, Andre Russell and Sammy leave the Windies as a powerful unit and Sir Curtly said the Caribbean side would definitely be in the running.
“Look at the team that we have, half of the team are in demand across the world for different T20 leagues,” he told the Observer newspaper here.
“So you may find one guy here, maybe two in this league and two in another league but we have all at once so we have a great chance of winning this T20 tournament, just look at our squad.
“The senior players – Marlon Samuel, Chris Gayle, Andre Russell, captain Darren Sammy – and all the senior players have to lead from the front.
“From my experience over the years, when the senior players – the guys that we expect to really take the mantle and take the team forward – are doing well, automatically the younger players will step up to the plate.”
West Indies are currently undergoing a preparation camp in the United Arab Emirates.
