St John’s, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board has noticed comments emanating from the West Indies Players Association that "the WICB instead prefers to expend large sums of money in pursuing arbitration."
The WICB finds this comment strange and disingenuous, particularly in light of recent events.
The WICB can confirm that it was approached to sanction an attempt by the global governing body for cricket – the International Cricket Council – who, in conjunction with the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations (FICA) would assist in the ongoing dispute between WICB and WIPA.
The ICC/FICA’s offer was to specifically facilitate a final resolution to the matter of image rights which is presently the subject of arbitration. It was clear that the arbitration was not progressing smoothly and that the relationship between WIPA and WICB remained strained on that matter.
The WICB was enthused by this offer and agreed, in full, to the joint ICC and FICA offer to intervene.
WIPA, when contacted by both FICA – its parent body – and the then ICC President David Morgan, refused to agree to the assistance of the two parent bodies. WIPA expressly stated that it prefers to pursue arbitration.
Therefore the WICB finds it shocking that after it agreed to avoid arbitration and WIPA refused the collaborative intervention and assistance of ICC and FICA and insisted on pursuing arbitration that WIPA can accuse the WICB of preferring the route of arbitration.
The WICB calls on WIPA to review its rejection of the joint ICC/FICA offer which is a golden opportunity for the two parties to reach final resolution after years of acrimonious relations.
Further the WICB calls on WIPA to join in acting in the best interest of the game in the West Indies by dealing with the issues in a fair and balanced manner and to avoid an insistence on an antagonistic and confrontational approach to resolving the outstanding issues.
Should WIPA insist on maintaining its rejection of the joint ICC/FICA offer the WICB will be left with no choice but to leave the public to judge – on the basis of the facts – and to determine which party actually prefers "to expend large sums of money in pursuing arbitration."