West Indies players’ end strike

By pratik
for Cricketain.com

Published: July 22, 2009

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Rahul Bajaj

West Indies’ players have finally ended their strike and made themselves available for the ODI series against Bangladesh. The decision was taken by the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) after the appointment of an arbitrator to settle their dispute with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The original squad picked by the board for the test series against Bangladesh had boycotted the series due to a dispute over player contracts. The strike made the selectors pick a second string side for the series and West Indies lost both the tests giving Bangladesh their first ever overseas test victory.

The WICB and the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), which is negotiating on the cricketers’ behalf, agreed to resolve the dispute by mediation on Tuesday, after meeting with Guyana president Bharat Jagdeo, who is also the chairman of the 15-nation trading bloc Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM). Both sides agreed to the appointment of former Commonwealth secretary general Shridath Ramphal as arbitrator.

“It was agreed that in the light of the Mediation Agreement which the Parties expect to lead to the resolution of outstanding issues all the players will make themselves available for selection,” they said in a joint statement.

“The mediation team, with assistance from the Caricom secretariat, would begin work immediately,” they said. “Both parties have taken this step, mindful of the interest of their respective organisations but conscious also of their wider responsibility to the people of the West Indies and the international sport of cricket.”

The agreement assumes immense importance as there were rumors flying that if the dispute doesn’t end soon than West Indies may have to go in with a weakened squad in the ICC Champions Trophy. The ICC had also agreed to act as a mediator and help in settling the dispute.

WICB had already announced a second string squad for the ODI series against Bangladesh.

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