Grenada PM pleads WICB, WIPA to resolve contract dispute

Bridgetown, Barbados, July 23 (UNI) Asking the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the players association (WIPA) to sort out the contract dispute at the earliest, Grenada's Prime Minister Keith Mitchell said the crisis is having a negative impact on the Caribbean preparations for next year's World Cup.

''Not again. Not now...my hope is that common sense will prevail all around,'' Mr Michell told the Trinidad and Tobago Express.

''What is at stake is the future of West Indies cricket, at a time when we are collectively spending millions and millions of dollars in preparation for next year's Cricket World Cup,'' he added.

The WICB and the WIPA have been at loggerheads over the issue of retainer contracts and the crisis deepened after the board excluded Dwayne Bravo from the list of contracted players due to his commitment with the rivals of its official sponsor. However, WICB had no hesitations in offering a contract to Brian Lara, who also had a personal contract with the same company.

WIPA President Dinanath Ramnarine, later, said the board's decision was against the ICC regulations and would lead to a further rift between the two sides.

Mr Mitchell said he received a call from Ramnarine and the two discussed the implications of the dispute on the future of the West Indies team.

''This is not a time for us to be faced with another crisis in relations between the Board and the Association and I hope common sense prevails on all sides,'' added Mr Mitchell.

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