West Indies cricket may take a deeper dive with Dwayne Bravo refusing to sign the West Indies Cricket Board’s retainer contract for October 2010 to September 2011.
Bravo is the vice captain of the West Indies team and he is a senior player. Captain Chris Gayle had asked the W.I.C.B. for an extension before he makes a decision to sign. Such extension was granted to Gayle. Ramneresh Sarwan and wicket keeper batsman Denesh Deonarine were not awarded contracts by the W.I.C.B.
New Retainer Contracts
The West Indies Cricket Board has given contracts to Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo and spinner Shane Shillingford for the October 2010 to September 2011 period. The West Indies team will be touring Sri Lanka later this year without least five of their senior players doubtful of participating in Sri Lanka.
W.I. Cricket In Crisis
With most of the senior players of the West indies Cricket team not going on tour to Sri Lanka and the position of the captaincy in conjecture, it is evident that serious problems exist within West Indies cricket. Some players apparently are acting on behalf of their own interest instead of waiting on the W.I.C.B. or the West Indies Players Association. The prolonged friction that exist between the W.I.C.B. and the W.I.P.A. has dug a very deep division and players have gone their separate directions for relief.
West Indies cricketers are feeling neglected and that is leading to chaos in team moral and performances. Unity of the team has broken down and unfortunately the W.I.P.A. nor the W.I.C.B. have done nothing constructive to repair such damage.
CARICOM Must Do Much More
The CARICOM Cricket Committee must be more meaningfully involved in negotiations between the W.I.C.B and the W.I.P.A. The strange, stiffled and unprofessional relationship between these two entities must cease in order for some progress to be made with West Indies cricket.
The younger players are emerging with talents but if the management remains as it is with no substantial changes in conducting the business of cricket, the downfall will continue.
W.I.P.A.’s chief executive and president Dinanath Ramnarine ought to refrain from some of his harsh statements and try to modify his pattern in his business negotiations with the W.I.C.B. Dialogue is the key ingredient in negotiations. The W.I.C.B. and the W.I.P.A. need to get things together for the best interest of West Indies cricket.
