West Indies players once again at loggerheads with board

Ahead of the series against the Bangladesh West Indies players have boycotted the series. The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) said it had attempted to hold talks in the past few days with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to resolve a number of issues. “The players have requested me as President of WIPA, the players’ body, to inform the WICB, sponsors and the public that, regretfully, they cannot with immediate effect continue playing without any contracts with the WICB,” WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine said in a statement and also added “The fact remains the players have played their last four tournaments without a contract.”They are now being asked to play their fifth consecutive series without a contract, which is highly unacceptable.”This impending row between the board and the players union is unsolved from earlier this year when the players threatened not to go to England for a series. And this is not the first time things like this have happened in WI. In 2005, 10 West Indies players, including captain Brian Lara, boycotted the tour of Sri Lanka. That time the row between the WICB and the players’ association was over sponsorship.The series took place with replacements brought in, but tourists ended up losing 2-0.

The West Indies cricket board said that the series will be held according to the schdule and is preparing a second ’string’ 15-man squad, captained by 36-year-old Floyd Reifer and featuring mostly new names including 16-year-old Barbadian batsman Kraigg Brathwaite who, if he plays would become the youngest West Indian Test player.

West Indies squad – Floyd Reifer (captain), Darren Sammy, Ryan Austin, Tino Best, David Bernard, Kraigg Brathwaite, Andre Creary, Travis Dowlin, Nikita Miller, Kevin McClean, Nelon Pascal, Omar Phillips, Dale Richards, Kemar Roach, Chadwick Walton.