October 27, 2014
Carl Hooper, the former West Indies captain, has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to step in and resolve the ongoing crisis that has engulfed West Indian cricket.
October 27, 2014
Carl Hooper, the former West Indies captain, has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to step in and resolve the ongoing crisis that has engulfed West Indian cricket.
“West Indies cricket can’t afford this, if the board is hurt it will in turn hurt local competitions," said Hooper.
Earlier this month, West Indies, who were scheduled to play five One-Day Internationals, one Twenty20 International and three Tests in India, abandoned the tour after the fourth ODI because of a pay dispute involving the players, the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
The Board of Control for Cricket in India reacted by suspending all future tours between the two teams, starting with the one in February-March 2016, and starting legal proceedings against the WICB.
“India says it is not going to play any fixtures against us over the next five years, that will hurt us more than anything,” Hooper was quoted as saying by News Corp on Monday (October 27). “That is a major blow, I hope it reconsiders as we don’t have sponsors jumping back and forth. The board needs money to keep cricket functioning.”
Although the ICC have expressed their concern, they have refused to intervene unless asked to by the two parties. The matter, however, is expected to come up for discussion at the ICC executive board meeting in Dubai on November 10.
“West Indies cricket can’t afford this, if the board is hurt it will in turn hurt local competitions. The ICC should do something as you want strong cricketing nations,” said Hooper, who played 102 Tests between 1987 and 2002.
The crisis has led to fears that West Indies might not have a team at the 2015 World Cup. “I can’t imagine we miss the World Cup but the players have to resolve this with the board. It is a mess up with a tour pullout and there are implications,” said Hooper. “The one-day team we have can win the World Cup if you add Sunil Narine and Chris Gayle, but now we will take a while to get settled again.”
Hooper suggested that the matter could be resolved only if the players, Wavell Hinds, the WIPA president, and the WICB find a common ground. “I never saw this coming,” said Hooper. “There hadn’t been issues for years. Is the problem with players and Wavell Hinds or Hinds and the board? My gut feeling is the issue is between Wavell Hinds and the board and whatever was communicated to the players was different.”
Courtesy: Wisden India
