Tony Becca
THE ROW between the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) should be settled soon. At least that is what both sides seem to be saying and hopefully it will be so.
According to the Board and WIPA, the important thing is West Indies cricket, and hopefully they have finally really appreciated the fact that it is West Indies cricket that is suffering and that it is West Indies that will continue to suffer as long as the impasse continues.
Hopefully they will also see the need to move quickly.
Caught in the middle of the row, however, are the new sponsors and the former sponsors, and that is really unfortunate - especially as members of the Board, members of WIPA, and members of the public, many of whom have no idea of what is really happening, or what really happened during the negotiations, have been taking sides.
It is unfortunate that the sponsors, present and past, are caught up in the row for the simple reason that regardless of what some may believe, regardless of all the talk about demanding more money from television rights, regardless of any improvement in marketing and merchandising, and regardless of any funding from CARICOM, West Indies cricket cannot, at no level, do without sponsors.
RANKED ABOVE THE WEAK
Without even going into the performance of the West Indies these days, without even remembering that as attractive as they can still be at times, they are only ranked above the very weak Zimbabwe and Bangladesh, the reality is that the West Indies team, West Indies cricket, is out of a region whose economy is not good enough for it to survive without sponsors.
On top of that, it should also be remembered that following recent changes in international cricket, touring teams no longer get as much money as they used to.
In other words, the West Indies, who used to depend on tours to England, Australia and India to make money are no longer making money from them - at least no where near as much as they did previously.
With West Indies cricket so dependent on sponsors, with the ability to host home series and to play in away series so dependent on big sponsors, and with sponsors with that kind of money so few in the West Indies, it is therefore important that the Board and WIPA are careful what they do and what they say while changing partners - even more so after changing partners.
So far, however, based on what is being said, one does not get the impression that the board was fair with Cable & Wireless during the early stages of the break up certainly not after a relationship that lasted for nearly 20 years, so, based on what has been said and is being said, one does not get the impression that the players signed with Cable & Wireless have been giving Digicel what they deserve as the team sponsors, and with sponsorship so important to both the Board and the players, with business with the money to sponsor at the level of Cable & Wireless and Digicel so few in the region, both the board and the players had better be careful.
It would be unfortunate for West Indies cricket, in fact, it would be disastrous for West Indies cricket if the row reaches the point where the board and WIPA are enemies.
COULD LOSE SPONSORS
Based on what has happened, on what is happening, it would be unfortunate and disastrous because if that happens it would certainly continue to involve Digicel and Cable & Wireless - and that could lead to one or both washing their hands of West Indies cricket.
That could then lead to potential sponsors shying away from West Indies cricket because of a fear of getting into something that could tarnish their image.
For almost 20 years the West Indies were fortunate to have had a friend, a partner, in Cable & Wireless, and although no one knows how long it will last, so far West Indies cricket is fortunate to have a friend, a partner, in Digicel.
The Board cannot dance with both of them, however, and if that is so, then it must dance with their new partner.
Twenty years together is a long time, however, and remembering that their paths could cross again, it is important that the board say a big thank you to C & W.
That should not upset Digicel - not only because they certainly would love to be remembered if their relationship lasts even half as long so long, but also, as they have said, because they are interested in West Indies cricket.
