GEORGETOWN, Guyana (CMC) – The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) yesterday welcomed the latest agreement between the feuding players and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to resolve their contractual dispute.

A joint statement by the WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) on Tuesday said they had settled most of the issues that crippled West Indies cricket for the past three months.

“The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) welcomes the news that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), led by its president Dr Julian Hunte, and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), led by its president and chief executive officer Mr Dinanath Ramnarine, have agreed to a Memorandum of Agreement resolving all but two of the outstanding issues between the two parties,” CARICOM states in a press release.

The latest WIPA/WICB agreement follows a three-day meeting between WICB president Julian Hunte and WIPA head Dinanath Ramnarine, and comes a month ahead of the tour to Australia.

The two issues remaining in the balance — regarding the India 2009 Tour and the issue of ‘Team Rights’ — have been referred to arbitration and CARICOM says it expects to obtain the assistance on that matter from the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) President Michael De La Bastide.

“West Indies cricket is the signal beneficiary of this collaborative agreement between the WICB and the WIPA. CARICOM expresses its appreciation to Dr Hunte and Mr Ramnarine, and their staff, for their contribution to this resolution and looks forward to continued improved relations between the WICB and WIPA in the interests of West Indies cricket,” CARICOM said.

The parties acknowledged that the proposals by the CARICOM Prime Ministerial Sub-committee on Cricket helped to set the stage for this agreement.

CARICOM had rolled out a six-point plan last month aimed at ending the impasse, with both the WICB and WIPA committing themselves to the proposals put forward.

CARICOM also said yesterday it looks forward to the ideas which will emerge from the Cricket Stakeholders Meeting scheduled to be held in November 2009 and pledges its dedicated support for the “strengthening and creation of mechanisms” which will ensure “enlightened governance and development” of West Indies cricket.

In welcoming the agreement, CARICOM Secretary-General Edwin Carrington also expressed appreciation to CARICOM Chairman Bharrat Jagdeo, President of Guyana, the members of the Prime Ministerial Sub-Committee on Cricket, the mediator, Sir Shridath Ramphal, Digicel and all other parties, including the staff of the Secretariat, for their “contribution to the process”.

Sir Sridath had led an initial mediation process that broke down at the end of August.