Caribbean Net News – As you all may recall, the West Indies Players Association and the West Indies Cricket Board met during the England series in the West Indies 2009 to resolve a number of outstanding issues.

It was at those lengthy meetings that agreement was reached on a number of issues, some of which were outstanding since 2007. Among the issues that were discussed and on which agreement was reached was the Retainer Contract.

In fact, if you do your research, you would discover that the WICB, through its President, made the announcement and similarly WIPA informed its members of the agreement reached on the Retainer Contract, among other things. There were other matters discussed during the meeting. While there may not have been agreement on all the issues, the parties agreed to a process in resolving them within a certain time-frame.

Unfortunately, not much has changed. The WICB has continued to employ the same tactics and is now reneging on the agreements made at that meeting. We at WIPA have made every effort since our meeting in April 2009 to have the matters agreed upon honoured and those that were still to be agreed upon, resolved in an amicable way.

The fact remains that the players have played their last four tournaments without a contract. I repeat the players have played their last four series without a contract. They are now being asked to play their fifth consecutive series without a contract which is highly unacceptable. When a player called me last week and asked what was the position with regards to his injury while playing cricket for the West Indies in the just concluded 20/20 World Cup, my response was that was there was no written contract in place and therefore any action that would have to be taken, would have to be taken in that context. Professional sportsmen should not be allowed to play any sport that has such a high risk without the necessary protection.

For your information some of the outstanding issues are: Settlement of the Retainer Contract for which fees have already been agreed upon by the parties and comments on the contracts itself that have been with the WICB for two months now without any response; Settlement of payments on the concluded tour of West Indies tour to England (2009); Settlement of fees on the just concluded ICC 20/20 World Cup (2009); India to West Indies series (2009); Bangladesh to West Indies (2009); Retainer Contracts/Player Contracts (2008/9); Injury Payments for players with or without written contracts; Unauthorised use of Players IP and Image rights; Clothing Contract; Arbitration matter pending since 2007 which include breaches of the CBA and MOU.

It is in this regard that WIPA met with the players in St. Lucia on Saturday 4th July for almost three hours. The decision was taken that if the WICB did not meet with WIPA to resolve outstanding issues, the players would not make themselves available to participate in the upcoming series against Bangladesh. We have written to the WICB to meet on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th July, but unfortunately the WICB have not responded.

Having considered the situation carefully and dispassionately, and bearing in mind their own welfare without ignoring the concern of other stakeholders, the players have requested me as President of WIPA, the players’ body, to inform the WICB, sponsors and the public that, regretfully, they cannot with immediate effect continue playing without any contracts with the WICB.====