FROM THE SPORTS DESK

WHEN Cricket West Indies (CWI) made the bold announcement last year July that it had offered “temporary amnesty” to the players who did not fit its selection criteria in order to have them available to play One Day Internationals, there was much euphoria among Caribbean fans who envisaged that this decision would have paved the way for the return of the so-called “stars”.

Prior to this “temporary amnesty” CWI has had a stringent policy of picking only those players who are active in the domestic one-day tournament for 50-over internationals but had boasted at arriving at a truce with the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), paving the way for all CWI registered players to be available for selection. At least, this was the feeling of CWI.

Some six months later, it’s back to square one with CWI chairman of selectors Courtney Browne revealing that four of the region’s marquee players in Darren Bravo, Sunil Narine and Kieron Pollard had turned down an invitation to join the World Cup squad in its last-ditch attempt to secure an elusive spot in the 2019 tournament.
According to Browne, the players have instead opted to participate in the Pakistan Super League (PSL) which clashes with the ICC World Cup qualifiers scheduled for Zimbabwe in March.

The decision by the players, though somewhat surprising and perplexing, begs the question as to whether this supposedly “temporary amnesty” was indeed mutually agreed upon among CWI, WIPA and the players. One should take note of the silence of WIPA on the issue and also question its true role as a representative body of the players.

The latest impasse between CWI and the players has been plaguing regional cricket since the rise of the T20 game with its so-called best players opting to chose the lucrative leagues around the world. Those who choose to do so, and maybe rightly so, have often been branded mercenaries available to the highest bidder.

Mindful of this development and admitting that the issue was a difficult one, CWI had pointed out that it was committed to finding a solution but it is clear that the bugbear remains one of finance. Former West Indies captain Darren Sammy had noted that there was no point offering “amnesty” to West Indies’ freelance T20 stars if the board does not pay them better.

Sammy was critical of “how little money the players stood to make from domestic cricket as against playing in franchise T20 tournaments around the world.” He also felt that the temporary amnesty would not solve the standoff between the CWI and the players since the former would need to draw up flexible contracts to allow players to represent West Indies while also featuring in their choice of T20 leagues.

While CWI Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Johnny Grave has indicated that his board had made “big commitments to the players”, it’s obvious that these commitments have still not met the approval of the “stars.”

Grave also revealed that the body was also “looking to make most scheduling conflicts a thing of the past” and was working at the ICC level to create future tours programme all the way to 2023 that will see the West Indies not playing any international cricket during the two months of the Indian Premier League (IPL) or any international cricket in white ball format in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).

Grave also alluded to the fact that CWI is aiming to create a framework both contractually and in terms of schedules that allows players to maximise their income and allows them to play for the West Indies and to represent the region but also where there are opportunities to maximise their revenues and earnings in what is still a short and uncertain career.
The recent developments clearly indicate that while CWI, from all appearances, has been trying its utmost to bring the two sides together, it’s fighting a losing battle with players who clearly don’t have regional cricket at heart.

The Sports Desk is unequivocally of the view that the players who recently declined to represent the West Indies in the upcoming ICC World Cup Qualifiers should no longer be considered for selection to the regional team without first providing formal indication of a desire to return. It’s time to move on.

CWI should not be held to ransom by a group of players as the battle between immediate financial gain and regional representation rages on.

All the rage about consistent uncertainty regarding one player’s status as an international cricketer as playing a crucial role in his reluctance to pass up opportunities to play in lucrative T20 leagues around the world is all hogwash. Why is he still even being considered for selection, based on his ODI record, is quite baffling. He shouldn’t be prevented from having the opportunity to support his family.