WIPA accuses WICB of blackmailing players to play tri-series

St Jonh's, Antigua, Aug 6 (UNI) The West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) has reacted angrily to the Windies board's direct invites to the team selected for the tri-series against India and Australia, accusing WICB of blackmailing the cricketers to play in the tournament with its coercive tactics.

''Eleventh hour pressure to coerce players to sign agreements...would be tantamount to acceding to blackmail,'' WIPA said in a statement here.

WIPA also accused the board of propagating a ''divide and rule'' policy and said the WICB was being acting hastily after talks between the two sides broke down without producing any significant result.

WICB said it did not have the time to restart negotiations as it had already exceeded the deadline to confirm participation in the tri-series scheduled to be held in September. However, WIPA -- unconvinced by the WICB argument -- said the board continued to show ''disregard'' to the players' body, taking the relations between the two sides to a new low.

''We are alarmed at the decision taken by the WICB to bypass the official and legitimate representative body of West Indies players and to negotiate individually with the players,'' the statement said.

''The basic tenets of good industrial relations have been flouted by the Board. WIPA cannot help but conclude that the WICB continues to show total disregard and disrespect for the players' organisation and the players themselves,'' it added.

WIPA said players should not be made to suffer for the ''last-minute approach'' of WICB and added that the board did not even wait for them to make a second offer after the initial negotiations failed.

WIPA also said that the WICB did not bother to inform it about the direct offers to the players and it came to know about the invites from the cricketers, who received it.

''To allege that time was against the Board and that it needed to conclude negotiations for the series is clearly indicative of its last-minute approach to negotiations and its internal problems that should not be inflicted on the players and the cricketing public,'' WIPA said.

''This action by the WICB was being undertaken even in the midst of negotiations between the WICB and WIPA as it was at that time after WIPA was making its second offer that we were informed by the WICB of its decision to go directly to players. This is another clear manifestation that the WICB was not negotiating in good faith,'' the statement revealed.

The players' association also stated that since the tri-series fell outside the ICC's Future Tours' Program (FTP), WIPA had every right to ask for a shre in the earnings and had the board acted more responsibly they would have given consideration to lowering their original demands.

''From the inception of our several agreements, it was clearly established that matches outside the FTP would be essentially a revenue earner for both parties. WIPA articulated this position making it clear that it wanted to share in any profits generated from tours outside the Overseas Programme (FTP).

''During the course of the negotiations WIPA reduced its initial proposal on two occasions to the WICB as part of a compromise. On the other hand the WICB has not done the same regarding its first proposal which remained its final proposal. Indeed, it adopted a take it or leave it attitude,'' the statement asserted.

The WICB has offered multifold increase in earnings to the players who choose to participate in the series but the amount being offered is still half of what WIPA has demanded.

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