Call for investigation into the WICB
by Dawne Bennett
Caribbean Net News Barbados Correspondent
Tuesday, July 12, 2005
BRIDGETOWN, Barbados: Caribbean Governments
have been urged to launch an investigation into the affairs of the West Indies
Cricket Board (WICB). The call has come from
the Clement Payne Movement which says CARICOM states should develop a plan of
action in which each government works with its national cricket association,
the stakeholders and shareholders in the WICB, to set up an independent
inquiry into the board’s affairs and ultimately, a plan for restructuring the
organisation. The movement’s President, David
Comissiong says there will be no settlement between the WICB and the West
Indies Players Association (WIPA), nor any advance in West Indies Cricket as
long as the Digicel controversy is unresolved.
He says since that controversy broke, the moral authority of the WICB to lead
the region’s cricket has been in question, and there is therefore a need for a
rigorous, independent investigation into the affairs of the board’s
leadership. And he says the only entities powerful enough to wield enough
influence to set up a credible investigation into the affairs of the WICB are
CARICOM governments. “The Clement Payne
Movement therefore cannot accept the position of Prime Minister Owen Arthur
that the role of our governments must be limited to facilitating a discussion
between the WICB and WIPA,” Mr. Comissiong said, referring to Mr. Arthur’s
comments coming out of the Heads of Government conference in St. Lucia last
week. “We are of the view that West Indies
cricket is so critical to the well being of the Caribbean people and to the
success of the regional integration movement that our CARICOM governments are
duty-bound to intervene and to do whatever is necessary to protect and save
this precious cultural institution,” he added.
According to Mr. Comissiong, an investigation is needed as a matter of utmost
urgency and should be commenced immediately in light of the fact that the
Caribbean will host the Cricket World Cup in another two years.
Back...
Most popular
articles: viewed, printed and e-mailed
Printable
version
| 
