Windies expect to field second XI
WEST Indies are preparing to field a second-string team in the first Test against Bangladesh today following a boycott by the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA).

Cricinfo understands that 11 players have arrived in St Vincent and trained at the Arnos Vale Ground yesterday afternoon.

Sources say the players to have so far arrived include Darren Sammy, who was part of the recent ICC World Twenty20, alongside Dale Richards and Nelon Pascal who were in the squad to tour England before that tournament.

Tino Best, the fast bowler, is also believed to have been included along with former top-order batsman Floyd Reifer, who now plays his cricket for the Combined Campuses and Colleges team in the West Indies domestic tournament.

Kemar Roach, who has played two ODIs and one Twenty20 international, is another player expected to play while the other names are: Omar Phillips, Travis Dowlin, Cadwick Walton, Ryan Austin and Kevin McClean.

Four more players are due to arrive from Jamaica to bolster the squad ahead of the Test. Kraigg Brathwaite, the prolific 16-year-old batsman, is a name being suggested as a possible call-up

A statement from WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine said the original squad would boycott the series “with immediate effect” because of a long-running contractual dispute with the home board.

Ramnarine said the decision to pull out of the series came after the latest talks with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) failed to resolve several issues, including retainer contracts. “The players have played their last four tournaments without a contract,” Ramnarine said. “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 regard to his injury while playing cricket for the West Indies in the just concluded Twenty20 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.”

When contacted about the second-string squad, Ramnarine said he hadn’t heard the reactions from the WICB and could not comment at this stage. Tony Howard, the WICB’s cricket operations officer, also told Cricinfo he had not heard of such any move, but that a statement would be released on the status of the series.

WICB president Julian Hunte, however, was confident the series would go ahead as planned. “As far as we are concerned (there) will be a Test match on Thursday (today),” he told Reuters.

Rabeed Imam, the Bangladesh Cricket Board’s media manager, told Cricinfo that as far as they were concerned this was an internal issue of the WICB and their players and that Bangladesh were focused on the match … and had been training accordingly.

This is not the first time in recent memory that the players and WICB have been involved in a stand-off. Earlier this year West Indies’ spring tour of England was nearly severely undermined after it emerged five senior players had threatened to withdraw from the series to play in the IPL. That crisis was averted, only for more talk of a boycott of the fifth and final ODI between West Indies and England after Chris Gayle indicated his team may not take the field if outstanding issues with the WICB remained unresolved. That too was averted.

A similar dispute arose in 2008 prior to Australia’s tour of the West Indies. Several senior West Indian players considered withdrawing from the first two Tests of the series to remain in the IPL, but returned after the WICB allowed them to skip a pre-series training camp.

The last time West Indies players actually took action, ten players – including then captain Brian Lara – boycotted the 2005 tour of Sri Lanka against a background of unprecedented controversy and confusion. A bitter, protracted row between the WICB and the players’ association over sponsorship led to the late withdrawal of ten of the original squad of 13, including Lara, Chris Gayle and Ramnaresh Sarwan. Replacement players were called up for the Test series, which West Indies ended up losing 2-0.

Possible West Indies squad: Omar Phillips, Dale Richards, Floyd Reifer, Travis Dowlin, Cadwick Walton, Darren Sammy, Kemar Roach, Ryan Austin, Tino Best, Kevin McClean, Nelon Pascal