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Star all-rounder Dwayne Bravo’s failure to receive a retainer contract from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has prompted the players’ association to threaten action.

Bravo was denied a retainer contract because of his personal endorsement contract with a telecommunications competitor of WICB’s title sponsor Digicel.

Bravo will still be eligible for selection and match/tour contracts on a series by series basis, but he was left off the first list of the West Indies players to be offered retainer contracts, including captain Brian Lara, vice-captain Ramnaresh Sarwan, former captain Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Chris Gayle, Corey Collymore, Fidel Edwards and Denesh Ramdin.

The board said its decision to omit Bravo was in line with agreements with the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) and the world body representing international cricketers. But the WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine said he was ìgreatly concernedî with the move, and the board’s decision to investigate Lara for comments he made about the selectors and pitch following the loss to India in the Test at Jamaica this month.

The decisions taken by the WICB with regard to Dwayne Bravo and Brian Lara have significant implications for these players and, by extension, other members of the WIPA,î Ramnarine said in a statement on Wednesday.

Despite current agreements between the board and players, the WICB saw it fit to disregard them as its decisions contravene fundamental aspects of the agreements. ìIn the circumstances, regrettably, the WIPA will have to take such steps as to protect the rights and interests of its members as we deem necessary. However, we again appeal to the WICB to review its position and meet with the WIPA in the interest of West Indies cricket,î he added.

Disputes over player contracts between the players and the board began at the end of 2004, and were brought up again during last month’s home series against India.
Source:The News

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