Windies players call on government aid in pay dispute

Protesting West Indies players have turned to the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Governments for help in their current impasse with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

At the same time, the WICB reaffirmed their commitment to start paying out money owed to the players under what agreements they believe they had already established with them.

These are the latest developments in the continuing saga between the two sides which has led to the leading West Indies players making themselves unavailable for the ongoing home series against Bangladesh.

The action, over pay and contract issues, is forcing the WICB to field an under-strength side for the ongoing home series against Bangladesh which has already seen a first Test win for the tourists.

But the West Indies Players' Association said late on Wednesday that it had written to Guyana President Bharat Jagdeo to seek his intervention.

Jagdeo is the current chairman of the Heads of Government of CARICOM committee which is similar in its composition and function to the African Union.

WIPA executive president Dinanath Ramnarine said in a letter to President Jagdeo that the players felt confident that the heads of government through its chairman would be able to find a mechanism to resolve the dispute.

Meantime, WICB vice-president Dave Cameron told the Caribbean Media Corporation, the regional news agency, that the players will begin to receive payments for the tour of England and the recent home ODI series against India shortly.

Although there are no written or signed contracts in place for these two series, the WICB has decided to pay on the basis of verbal agreements and written undertakings which they had with WIPA.

"At present, the situation remains the same," said Cameron, who is also chairman of the WICB's negotiating committee. "We are not going to negotiate under duress and that is final.

"What we have done however, is to make arrangements to pay the players for their services.

"Presently, the wages for the England tour and the India tour are being processed and we will get it to the players as soon as possible."

Cameron noted that the WICB would not however, be paying salaries for the Twenty20 Cup until the regional governing body has received their share of the purse from the International Cricket Council, the sport's World governing body.

Later Thursday, the protesting West Indies players were asked to explain their decision to boycott the official launch of the 2010 Twenty20 World Cup, as well as their refusal to travel to St. Vincent from St. Lucia, and play in the first Test against Bangladesh after been selected.

The West Indies Cricket Board disclosed that it had written individually to all players involved in the action and informed them that they had breached several agreements.