Many individuals in the local cricket fraternity are sad and disappointed that the West Indies team took the decision to end its tour of India after the fourth One-Day International because of salary disputes between the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB). The disagreement stemmed from the recently signed Collective Bargaining Agreement and Memorandum of Understanding agreement between WIPA and the WICB on September 18, 2014.
The West Indies One-Day (ODI) team led by Dwayne Bravo threatened to strike on the eve of the first ODI (October 8) as the players were unhappy with the new salary arrangement put forward by WIPA president Wavell Hinds. Bravo, in a letter to Hinds on October 3, said the he (Hinds) inaccurately stated the players got a 300 per cent increase in match fees, when the truth is the players are receiving 90 per cent less than what previously existed in the overall fees. This was one of many concerns the players had with the agreement.
In a phone interview with the T&T Guardian yesterday, former West Indies opener Bryan Davis said it was a sad day for West Indies and he did not agree with the move by the West Indies players. Davis said: “I feel very sad, very disappointed, my heart is suffering. It is a lack of courtesy, integrity to the hosts. I can’t believe anybody can be so unfair to the game of cricket.” Davis believes West Indies should have played the rest of the tour and returned to the Caribbean resolve the situation with WIPA and the WICB, saying it is unfair to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
The former West Indian player said the senior players must be held accountable.
The West Indies were scheduled to stay in India until November 19 to play one more ODI, one T20 and three Test matches. West Indies have played the lower ranked teams in world cricket recently, including Bangladesh in the Caribbean, and Davis said that this tour would have been a good measuring tape to see how the team was progressing. Nine cricket tours have been abandoned in the past, but this is the first time a tour was abandoned due to players’ actions. In the past tours were abandoned because of war, political upheaval or bad weather. The last abandoned tour was in 2010/2011 when the West Indies tour of Sri Lanka was stopped due to rainy weather.
T&T Cricket Board (T&TCB) executive members Lalman Kowlessar and Patrick Rampersad in separate interviews both disagreed with the decision by the players to abandon the tour. Kowlessar stated: “It is definitely embarrassing, it is an unfortunate situation. The players should have thought of the West Indies.” Kowlessar added that if there was more dialogue between WIPA, WICB and the players the situation could have been prevented. “When we (West Indies) lose games we are hurt; this will bring more hurt.” Rampersad said: “I can’t agree with calling off the tour. It should be sorted out between WIPA and the players.” The Merry Boys Cricket Club president added that the West Indies was starting to progress nicely but the team had now taken a step back. “West Indies are carded to tour South Africa at the end of the year, another top team, but this set back may affect this tour according to Rampersad. “This will impact on this tour (South Africa) as well.” WICB president Dave Cameron has chosen not to step in and talk to the players, making it clear that the WICB will only engage with WIPA.