Cable and Wireless urges the WICB to move with all due haste in its further review of the personal endorsement contracts of Messrs. Bravo, Edwards, Gayle, Lara, Rampaul, Sarwan and Dwayne Smith.

In an effort to end the impasse and help ensure that the best possible players are made available for selection to the West Indies Team, Cable and Wireless has provided contracts to the WICB legal counsel, with the consent of all players, on Friday March 11 as requested.

We are confident that the review will revalidate the fact that these personal endorsement contracts can legitimately co-exist with the master sponsorship contract, as supported by the adjudicator's ruling last December.

The model whereby world class athletes may have personal sponsorship and endorsement contracts with competitors of the team sponsor is well established in other major sports around the world.

BETTER COMPENSATION

It has resulted in better compensation for the best players and higher quality sporting events overall. This is not ambush marketing.

The policy for selection to a team should never be based on sponsor affiliation but on ability. Cable & Wireless joins all cricket loving people in imploring the WICB to clear the impasse as quickly as possible and allow the best players to represent our beloved West Indies.

(March 12, 2005)