Please read our previous post, here, for a background to this post.
Well, what a difference six (6) days make!
Since we last posted, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) decided to use a West Indies B team, headed by Floyd Reifer, to play the Bangladeshi cricket team, which is in on tour in the Caribbean.
And yes, the West Indies lost by 95 runs to Bangladesh in the first test series.
This is Bangladesh's 2nd win in over 70 matches...and a humiliating defeat for the West Indies.
What many West Indians have been saying however, is that they are not sure that the score line would have been any different, had the original West Indian squad played Bangladesh.
Score Board for Bangladesh vs West Indies, 1st Test
Bangladesh 1st innings: 238/10 (88.2 overs, Day 2)
West Indies 1st innings: 307/10 (95.1 overs, Day 2 and Day 3)
Bangladesh 2nd innings: 345/10 (120.1 overs, Day 4 and Day 5)
West Indies 2nd innings: 181/10 (70.1 overs, Day 5)
(Source: Bangladesh vs West indies 2009, 1st Test, Day 5, CricketHighlights.com)
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Also since then, we have heard from Jimmy Adams, former Secretary of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), and current Technical Director of the Jamaica Cricket Association, who revealed that this current WICB board is carrying on in the tradition of previous WICB boards, in that when the players and the Board came to an agreement, the Board breached it days later.
We were also reminded of previous WIPA-WICB impasses that went to arbitration and where WIPA was vindicated (came out winners), due to contractual breaches by the WICB.
Well, no wonder there is mistrust between WIPA and the WICB.
The WICB has put down the gauntlet and not only demanded that striking players reveal whether or not they'll be available for the ICC Champions Trophy in September, but has stated that if WIPA does not apologize to the WICB, then that's the end of the striking players' cricketing careers in the West Indies.
Most West Indians feel that the striking players have nothing to lose, having made over $1 million dollars, each, during the Stanford 20/20 Tournament in 2008 and then over $100,000 each, from the England tour, so they're well set - they don't need West Indies cricket.
Well I disagree, I say that they do, for US $1.1 million dollars each, is small change in the world of sports.
I also feel that this current impasse needs to go to arbitration, so that this conflict can be settled once and for all...
The West Indian public needs to know the truth behind this current impasse and with this knowledge, demand that either:
1) The current WICB Board resigns due to unfair contractual practices and their inability to manage the sport of cricket and its professionals
Or
2) If the fault lies with WIPA, then the West Indies needs to start over with a new set of players, who have the best interest of West indian cricket at heart, and as such, insist on being paid by performance.
The current West Indies B team also needs to understand that they stand to lose, as well, if this impasse is unresolved...
...For it will just be a matter of time that the WICB treats them in the same way in which they are currently treating the striking players.
The people of the Caribbean deserve better, WICB and WIPA...let mediators decide what's in the best interest of both of you and West Indies Cricket in general, since you both seem incapable of deciding this!
(I would like to thank Luke H for the use of his Flickr inset photo above of a mediator's role).
Gillian
Sources Include
1) Webpage, "Bangladesh vs West indies 2009, 1st Test, Day 5", CricketHighlights.com
2) Discussions on various Jamaican Sports programmes between July 9-July 14,2009
