Ramnarine damands larger share of Champions League money and threatens to strike if not satisfied

In an exact repeat of circumstances and events that took place in Guyana in August/ September 2010 following Guyana's qualification for the Airtel Champions' League; the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) is demanding more money for itself and members from Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) or it will refuse to permit the Trinidad and Tobago cricketers to sign participation contracts for the tournament. The Guyana Cricket Board was forced to obtain an injunction granted by Chief Justice Ian Chang to restrain WIPA's interference last year. TTCB members have privately expressed the view that it may be necessary for them to do the same to protect themselves.

Sources here in Trinidad have confirmed that at the core of the dispute between the TTCB and WIPA is the payment and share allocation of the prize monies and participation fee to the TTCB by the Airtel Champions League. Dinanath Ramnarine, the Chief Executive of WIPA has claimed that his sister company West Indies Players Management Company Limited (WIPMACOL) owns the image and playing rights of the Trinidad cricketers to the exclusion of the players themselves and even if the players agree to play they cannot play without his consent. Of course, WIPA and WIPMACOL's interest in the amount paid to the players is because the two companies extract 5% and 15% respectively from each player as fees. It was common knowledge that when Guyana had qualified for the Airtel Champions League 2010 WIPMACOL's Secretary was seeking to actively negotiate a sponsorship deal for the Guyana Cricket Team, with the sponsor being Venky's (an Indian fast food brand). However, it was a deal in which WIPMACOL was seeking in excess of  US$100,000 as a agency fee with the Guyana Cricket Board being paid less than US$100,000 as sponsorship fees.

Ramnarine when contacted via telephone last night would not elaborate on the full nature of the dispute between WIPA and TTCB but said "the players have a right to a bigger share of the money; its them who playing not the Board". When asked if it was not unfair for the TTCB to pay the 15 players such high fees when cricket development in Trinidad and Tobago amongst the younger cricketers and other development projects which would benefit a much wider cross section of cricketers; Ramnarine replied "its not the other cricketers that playing; its this 15 and they should be the ones to reap the rewards". Ramnarine's comments have drawn hostile criticism from some quarters in Trinidad cricket who has said that "this policy of paying some of the players exorbitant fees when the development of youngsters is sacrificed must stop".

It must be noted as was expressed by the Chief Justice of Guyana when dealing a similar situation in Guyana last year said that he found it strange that the entire cricketing world had agreed with the Airtel Champions League the allocation of prize and participation money but it was only that players in the West Indies were the only ones demanding more money. Indeed the Airtel Champions League participation contracts provide for the distribution of prize monies with 50% going to the players and 50% to the team Board; and the participation fee to be paid to the Board from which the team originates. This  is accepted by every other team and Board participating in the Airtel Champions League it is only here in the West Indies that Ramnarine seeks to incite players that they should be paid more and demand a bigger share of the monies on offer.

One cricket enthusiast commented that such greed by the cricketers in the Region must come to an end; having recently tumbled out of the 2011 World Cup and not winning against top teams; its time for more money to be distributed in cricket development in the region and the West Indian players should now be paid based on performance. Many in the Region feel that it is Ramnarine's influence of greed that has led the cricketers in the Region to keep demanding more money for everything. Ramnarine is well known for refusing to accept performance based pay for his members preferring to take as much as he can whether they perform or not; and as history has shown that more often than not they have failed to perform.

It is understood that the TTCB has already consulted its legal advisers and are in the process of contacting Sanjay Datadin and Sir Fenton Ramsahoye (the lawyers employed by the Guyana Cricket Board to obtain the injunction against WIPA last year) to represent the TTCB in this matter. 

Ramnarine said he is unafraid of Court proceedings as he has ways of dealing with that and his lawyers were ready. In relation to the Guyana Court matter Ramnarine said that he had the Guyana Court matter under control as his chosen candidate in the Guyana Cricket Board elections Mr. Bissoondyal had assured him that once he is elected he will "instruct that the Court matter be withdrawn against WIPA and WIPMACOL".