All parties stand to lose
published: Saturday | March 12, 2005

Austin 'Jack' Warner - File

ST. JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC:

FIFA Vice-President Austin 'Jack' Warner believes that all the major players involved in the West Indies cricket fracas stand to lose if the current impasse is not resolved quickly.

As a result, Warner said that the two parties needed to dialogue in order to settle the dispute over sponsorship contracts, which has seen seven West Indies players, including captain Brian Lara overlooked for selection.

"It must be borne in mind that cricket is a team sport and were the seven players with individual sponsorships to be omitted from the West Indies team, their contracts with C&W would be almost meaningless and neither C&W nor they would benefit," Warner, one of the most influential figures in world football, told the Antigua Sun newspaper.

He said the West Indies would also be "considerably weakened and would not be a marketable product for either the West Indies Board or Digicel without the seven.

"Both scenarios would be tragedies of immense proportions," Warner cautioned.

CONTRACT TERMS TO BE DETERMINED

Last week Friday, West Indies Cricket Board president Teddy Griffith announced that the seven Cable & Wireless contracted players would be overlooked for selection for the South Africa tour, until it could be determined that the terms and conditions of their contracts were not in conflict with the Digicel sponsorship.

Warner, also the Caribbean Football Union chief, said that while individual sponsorship contracts was a reality in modern sport, the terms of the contracts should be known to the parent body.

"The parent body should ascertain from players who hold such individual sponsorships, the terms and conditions under which such have been obtained," Warner said. "Through dialogue, therefore, some sort of resolution can be reached."

He also said there was no question where the loyalty of the West Indies team players should lie.

"During each day's play and whenever and wherever they are assembled as the West Indies cricket team, the members of the West Indies team are obligated to Digicel who are the sponsors of the West Indies team," Warner pointed out.

"That should not be challenged. On their own, as individuals, they can honour their obligations to Cable & Wireless."