Player strike looms over West Indies tour opener against India

A strike could hit West Indies' tour opener against India on Wednesday due to a row between leading West Indies players and their own union.

The match in Kochi, where the teams are already assembled, is the first of five one-day internationals to be followed by three Test matches and a Twenty20 international.

The West Indies Players Assocation (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) signed a new agreement last month covering pay and conditions but all-rounder Dwayne Bravo said players were kept in the dark about the talks and would not accept the outcome.

"We believe we are being hoodwinked and are being treated like little school boys, yet we are being asked to perform and play as professionals," Bravo wrote in a letter to WIPA president Wavell Hinds published by the Caribbean website.

"The players are of the view that as a matter of principle, we should not accept these conditions whereby we are being asked to play a series against India without any certainty of what are our obligations and what we will be playing for."

The WICB said in a statement on Tuesday that they were aware of the dispute and the possibility of a strike.

"It has also come to the WICB’s attention that the some of the players could withdraw their services for the first ODI. The WICB deeply regrets this apparent eventuality, especially in light of the tedious and substantial work which went into the good faith negotiations to arrive at the new, historic CBA/MOU.

"The WICB apologises to the fans, the BCCI and all other stakeholders should the first ODI be disrupted as a result of player action. The WICB is making every effort to ensure that it fulfills all its commitments and that cricket is played," said the statement.

Bravo wrote in his letter that players were being asked to take a substantial loss as part of a deal they were not party to. He said the tour should be conducted under previous contractual terms until a solution was found.

West Indies players last boycotted a series in 2009 when they, backed by WIPA, refused to play a home campaign against Bangladesh due to a previous contract dispute.

When top players went on strike the WICB brought in a second-string squad to complete the series.

Bravo suggested that WIPA chief Hinds may be suffering from a conflict of interests.

"Perhaps Mr. Hinds, the confusion of the plethora of positions that you occupy being Chairman of Selectors for Jamaica Senior team, a Board member of the Jamaica Cricket Association and the dual role of President and CEO of WIPA have in some way contributed to the confusion or perhaps being a member of the same club as (WICB president Dave) Cameron in some way may have clouded your judgment," he wrote.

A WIPA press release regarding the signing of the new collective bargaining agreement on Sept. 18 noted that the arrangement would see better deals for players outside of the full West Indies team with more than 100 players being kept on retainers.

According to WIPA secretary Wayne Lewis, it "involved allowing the WICB to reallocate about $2.3 million which represented amounts paid annually only to those cricketers who were selected to the senior WI team."

Bravo also asked whether the WICB officials would agree to such massive pay cuts for themselves.

In response, the WICB issued a press release tendering its apology "to the fans, the BCCI and all other stakeholders should the first ODI be disrupted as a result of player action.

The Board said that the "the WICB is making every effort to ensure that it fulfils all its commitments and that cricket is played."

As per the new MoU, the players ‘understand’ their Test, ODI and T20 fees ‘have been decreased by 75 per cent’; that they will receive ‘no compensation for the use of our rights. That has been decreased by 100 per cent’; and their ICC fees have been "decreased by close to 100 per cent".

The players said they were being kept in the dark about the "purported agreement". Bravo and his team-mates insisted that they want the old structure back as the new one is "significantly different from what we received in the past."

After the West Indies players did not turn up for Tuesday's practice and pre-match press conference, team sources claimed a twist was being given to their decision, which was a result of "too many meetings".

Meanwhile the WICB said in a statement: "The West Indies Cricket Board has been advised that a number of players forming the West Indies One Day International squad currently in India, and scheduled to play five ODIs, commencing with the first ODI tomorrow, Wednesday October 8, have expressed concerns to WIPA on a number of issues relating to the CBA/MOU recently signed by WICB and WIPA.

"It has also come to the WICB's attention that the some of the players could withdraw their services for the first ODI. The WICB deeply regrets this apparent eventuality, especially in light of the tedious and substantial work which went into the good faith negotiations to arrive at the new, historic CBA/MOU.

"The WICB further thanks the BCCI, the host board, for their understanding and pleads with fans to exercise calm and patience. The Board trusts that a reasoned approach is taken and that the interest of cricket is served. The Board will make further announcements as may be necessary."

This is not first time that the players are locked in a pay dispute with the WICB. The players have threatened to go on strike in those instances as well but have ultimately come around after hectic negotiations.