WIPA slams board's contracts decision

The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) has issued a release stating that it is greatly concerned about recent decisions taken with regard to Dwayne Bravo and Brian Lara.

Recently, the WICB announced that retainer contracts were being given to seven players including Lara, but not Bravo. The board had excluded Bravo because of a contract he recently signed with TSTT, a competitor with the board's sponsors Digicel. The WICB took a decision to ignore Lara's personal contact with Cable & Wireless because it was signed prior to the WICB's contract with Digicel.

WIPA is contending that the recent ruling by the ICC allows Bravo and other players to pursue their personal sponsorship deals, regardless of who sponsors the WICB.

"We say this against the background of a FICA/ICC ruling on the issues pertaining to the respective commercial and promotional rights and obligations of players, the WICB and its major sponsors, a ruling the WIPA and the WICB agreed would be binding on both parties," WIPA's release said.