Fort Lauderdale, Florida – With two years left in the current Memorandum of Understanding/Collective Bargaining Agreement (MOU/CBA) with the West Indies Cricket Board, West Indies Players Association and players; the WICB took a proactive move to host a players’ symposium in Florida on Wednesday (August 24) to address some of the pressing issues.
Among the issues discussed openly were
- MOU/CBA – WICB, WIPA and players
- Future tours
- ICC events
- Finances of WICB and World Cricket
- Life during and after cricket
WICB President, Dave Cameron says “the ongoing dialogue aimed at finding amicable solutions is the main aim for us as an organisation and we are keen on confronting the issues facing us as we seek to enhance the overall cricket product. We will continue the dialogue. We will encourage players to voice their concerns through an appropriate medium. We will work together for a solution. We know the players are the most important features of our Brand and we wish to engage them as is necessary and required to be more competitive on and off the field.”
The meeting which at points became contentious, “was solution-oriented and the WICB continues to make efforts to facilitate the best environment for players,” the President noted.
Action items coming out of the meeting include – the players who fall in the “free agency” status have been asked to make recommendations through WIPA on:
- Eligibility for selection for all formats of the game and how they can qualify highlighting percentages or number of regional matches to participate in
- Player selection/availability at international level
The players present at the four-hour session in Florida included the Twenty20 squad for the two matches versus India and the retained players; while first class players in all six regions were able to access the discussion via tele-conference.
There was a keynote presentation from Daren Ganga who is now a Sport Administrator with the University of Trinidad and Tobago and is an international radio and television broadcaster. His presentation focused on Responsibilities of a Professional Athlete. Ganga stressed the need for excellent performances on the field of play, but made a great case for work off the field as a role model “as they prepare for life after cricket.”
The other officials who shared information were CEO, Michael Muirhead, WIPA President, Wavell Hinds and Chairman of Selectors, Courtney Browne.
The CEO emphasised the “need for the dialogue and more solutions as the sport industry continues to evolve.”