BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, CMC:
This year's West Indies home series against South Africa and Pakistan seems likely to proceed, although seven leading cricketers, including captain and batting star Brian Lara, will not be considered for selection until their personal endorsement contracts with Cable & Wireless are properly vetted.
The West Indies Cricket Board announced yesterday it had received commitments from all 22 players invited to make themselves available for the series of six Tests and eight limited-overs internationals.
"The selectors will be instructed to name the squad for the first Test on Thursday, March 17, and those selected will assemble for the pre-tour camp scheduled to commence on Wednesday, March 23," remarked Val Banks, vice president of the WICB, in a statement broadcast on CMC Radio Sport.
"The WICB will, through its attorneys-at-law, commence inspection of certain contracts pertaining to C&W contracted players which were provided late on Friday, March 11, by C&W to the WICB's counsel. Once the board has received in writing a waiver from each of the affected players so that the board is not involuntarily in breach of any confidentiality clauses in those contracts." Banks did not give a timeline for the examination of the contracts, but explained that the purpose of the WICB's inspection was to ensure that the documents do not impose on the players any obligations that could cause them or the WICB to be in breach of the US $20 million sponsorship with Digicel.
personal contracts
"While the examination is in process, the players who hold personal endorsement contracts with C&W - Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Chris Gayle, Lara, Ravi Rampaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Dwayne Smith - will not be considered for selection until the WICB satisfies itself as to the nature of those contracts," he said.
The first Test between West Indies and South Africa begins on March 31.
