Lara
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP):
THE WEST Indies' tour of Australia next month is jeopardised again because of the players' demand for US$500,000 (euro373,700) in appearance fees, says a West Indies cricket official.
The West Indies Cricket Board rejected the demand, said Chetram Singh, a board official, and president of the Guyana Cricket Board.
The West Indies Players Association demanded the fees for the 14-member team in addition to match, tour fees and incentives, said Singh.
The demand once again "puts the tour in jeopardy," he said.
Players association officials could not be immediately reached for comment.
Plans for the limited-overs series involving Australia, Pakistan and the West Indies were almost derailed last month. Most of the West Indies team, including captain Brian Lara, refused to accept invitations to a training camp because of a conflict over personal endorsements.
IMAGE RIGHTS
The players said they risked losing their image rights because of their contracts with Cable & Wireless, the rival of the board's new sponsor, competing telecommunications firm Digicel.
The board barred the players from the Barbados training camp until both parties agreed through mediation to reopen the camp on November 29 and allow an arbitrator to solve the problems.
The new demand "is absolute madness", Singh said on Sunday, hours after the players' representative Dinanath Ramnarine lay it before the board.
The team was paid a total of US$390,000 (euro291,500) in appearance fees this year for four Test matches and seven one-day internationals against England, and for two Tests and five one-dayers against Bangladesh, both in the Caribbean, board officials said.
In Australia, the players will be on the field for at least eight days. In the two previous tours, they were on the field for a total of 42 days.
