Replacement players being eyed
By JOEL BAILEY Thursday, February 11 2016
WEST Indies Cricket Board (WICB) are remaining firm in their view that the members of the WI 15-man squad, for the forthcoming ICC T20 World Cup in India, will either have to sign their tournament contracts by Sunday or be replaced.
So said WICB Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Michael Muirhead, during a telephone interview yesterday.
Muirhead noted, “(the players) have US$6,900 for every match and, to that, you can almost add 10 percent because we pay their Provident Fund. So they get US$7,590, of which US$690 goes into their savings for the Provident Fund.
“They’ll get 60 percent of the shirt sponsorship, which we have not concluded yet, and 80 percent of prize monies. I’m hoping they will go very far.
“If they win (the tournament), they’ll get 80 percent of US$1.6 million. There is not much beyond that because that’s what we have agreed back in May. It was a fair and transparent reward for this event,†added the Jamaican Muirhead.
When asked what will happen if the players refuse to sign their contracts before Sunday’s deadline, the WICB CEO replied, “the Board will have to replace them with players who are willing to go to play. So we have mobilised our selectors and put them on notice. So we have to be prepared.
“I’m hoping that they will all sign and we wouldn’t have to resort to anything else,†he pointed out. “But I cannot afford to be caught flat-footed. So I’ve asked the selectors to look at other players who they have omitted.†About the agreement between the players and the WICB, Muirhead said, “all players are represented by WIPA (West Indies Players Association), whether you are a dues-paying member or not, but all players. The West Indies Cricket Board deals with no player individually. They only deal and recognise WIPA as the bargaining agent for all players.
“We couldn’t deal with all 100-and-odd players trying to do a contract which is different.
Everybody wants something else. It’s just not practical.†Muirhead revealed, “I think two players have already signed and sent back their contracts, and another player is injured, who we have to replace. He’s stated that he will not be taking up the contract because of injury. So we’re making progress.†He declined to reveal the identity of the players, but he is hopeful that the sponsorship deal can be finalised as soon as possible, which will be a boost to the WICB coffers. “It is not as easy to get a sponsor for West Indies cricket as it was before, because of exactly what’s happening.†Muirhead admitted. “Even if we were winning - we are number two but, at the same time, they don’t want to be with a group that seems contentious and not into team work. It may just reflect the wrong image for a company. “It’s not just because we are there a company is going to sponsor us.
We have to represent certain values that are congruent with what the company’s values are. We are negotiating right now, hopefully we will have a deal and I should know by the weekend.†Muirhead added that if new players are needed to make up the World Cup squad, they will be required to sign their contracts almost immediately.
What if the supposed replacement team are perceived to be a second-string outfit? “I think we can only play with players who are available,†the WICB CEO responded. “Those are decisions that the selectors have to make.â€
