ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC:
FOLLOWING IS a statement issued yesterday by the West Indies Cricket Board regarding the disbursement of money for the proposed Stanford Twenty20 tournament.
"In view of recent statements in the media attributed to Texan businessman, Allen Stanford, it is considered necessary to clarify the position of the Territorial Boards in relation to his offer to disburse funding.
"The generous offer of assistance which is proposed, is to be welcomed, but if it is Mr. Stanford's desire to genuinely assist in the development of cricket, we would expect this to be progressed in conjunction with existing Caribbean initiatives, which are well advanced.
Visits to our respective territories have been made by envoys of Mr. Stanford and we have indicated general interest in his proposal to offer funding. But we have made it clear that we expect these arrangements to be pursued through our collective participation at the level of the West Indies Cricket Board.
"Anything else would suggest an attempt to create duplication and division within West Indies Cricket, which we do not believe is Mr. Stanford's intention."
West Indies territorial boards: Barbados Cricket Association, Guyana Cricket Board, Jamaica Cricket Association, Leeward Islands Cricket Association, Trinidad & Tobago Cricket Board and Windward Islands Cricket Board
