WICB willing to discuss IPL, other leagues with players

Hilaire says talks with Gayle have been 'unproductive'

ST JOHN'S, Antigua (CMC):

Ernest Hilaire said the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has come to an understanding with Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo about their participation in other national leagues around the world, but they have failed to reach a similar position with Chris Gayle.

The issue has again come into sharp focus, with the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL)set to start on Friday in the south Asian nation, which just co-hosted the World Cup with Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

"We've had discussions with Kieron Pollard about his own aspirations, his development, where he wants to go with his game and what his own plans are, and we've understood his own thoughts," said Hilaire at a recent news conference.

"And we're going to try to work with him to ensure he remains a valuable resource to West Indies cricket."

Hilaire added: "We've spoken to Dwayne Bravo about his own plans and intentions. We've had some very frank and engaging discussions on the matter and we will see how best we can accommodate the players.

"With Chris Gayle it has not been a productive discussion and therefore, it is a little more difficult for me to make any pronouncements as it relates to Chris."

Pollard and Bravo secured lucrative deals in the IPL for a fourth season, following the auction of players late last year.

franchise player

While Pollard was retained by the Mumbai Indians as one of their franchise players, his fellow Trinidad & Tobago all-rounder Bravo was not so fortunate to remain with the club and was snapped up by reigning champions Chennai Super Kings, which is led by India's World Cup-winning captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Jamaica and West Indies fast bowler Jerome Taylor is the only other player from the Caribbean that secured a contract to play for expansion side Pune Warriors.

This however, has been placed in jeopardy, following an injury which has sidelined him for the latter stages of the WICB Regional Four-day Tournament.

Hilaire said the WICB was open to discussing with players what were their plans and objectives for playing in other leagues and how best the regional governing body could accommodate them within the commitment that they must also represent the West Indies.

"We said to the players that we don't want to be in a fight with (them)," he said. "It makes no sense for us to have players who we're forcing to play for the West Indies.

"We won't get performance, we won't get commitment. We've tried to explain to the players about representing the West Indies and the necessity to do it and the importance of it."

Hilaire said: "We can always decide that we will pick (them) and see what happens - whether (they) perform or not, it's up to (them) and (their) conscience and (their) commitment.

"But we do not think that is the best way to go about it so we have tried to speak to the players about it."

Hilaire noted that there were no restraint of trade issues, since there has been universal agreement among the international boards, including the Indians, that they will only allow players to play in the IPL if they are not chosen to represent their country in international matches.

misleading information

"As long as the WICB selects a player, no IPL franchise will let that player play," he said.

"So when players was told don't sign your (WICB retainer) contract because it means you can go to IPL, they were being misled."

He said: "If they don't sign contracts and we select them, the franchise will not let them play.

"They can decide if they are not playing for the West Indies, but even then they still cannot play in the IPL because we would have selected them to play for West Indies. All the countries have agreed that international cricket must be given priority."

Hilaire said it has been a tremendous battle by not only the WICB, but all of the other boards to try to get space for their players to participate in the IPL.

He concluded that the West Indies are uniquely challenged because the tournament falls in the middle of the regional calendar and many of the international tours had been settled years prior.