In a chilling throwback to the repeated strikes that brought West Indies cricket to its knees over the past 15 years, the latest tour of India, slated to start officially with the first of the five One-Day Internationals (ODIs) in Kochi today (at 5 a.m. Barbados time), was under threat last night.
Players, aggrieved over sections of the recently signed memorandum of understanding (MOU) and collective bargaining agreement (CBA) between their union, the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), stayed away from yesterday’s final practice and boycotted the usual eve-of-match media conference.
Well-placed sources revealed to the MIDWEEK NATION that there was a strong possibility that the first match of the series would be forfeited. Additionally, efforts were also on to see if West Indies ‘A’ team players on tour of Sri Lanka would be willing to make themselves available for the senior team.
Ironically, the latest development comes just three weeks after WICB president Dave Cameron and WIPA president and chief executive officer Wavell Hinds, both Jamaicans and both on the executive of Kensington Club of Kingston, shook hands and made optimistic comments following the signing of the new MOU/CBA on September 18 at the Accra Beach Hotel.
