Alternative Windies squad for Lanka

West Indies selectors will meet Tuesday to pick an alternative squad of players for the tour of Sri Lanka. Most members of the current squad are locked in a contractual dispute with the board, and negotiations are on to try and break the deadlock.

The West Indies board announced that only three of the 17 players originally invited to play in the series had signed and returned their letters of invitation.

"We have been in touch with some of the players currently on tour with the A team in Sri Lanka, regarding their availability and have had a very positive response from them," said Roger Braithwaite, although Cricinfo reported a different scenario.

The Cricinfo report said: "The saga of the lack of players for the forthcoming West Indies tour of Sri Lanka took another twist with the news that the board had gone behind the back of the West Indies Players Association and tried to recruit members of the A team, currently in Sri Lanka, to replace the ten first-choice individuals who refused to sign the board's match/tour contracts."

"Cricinfo has learnt that the A team were summoned to a meeting where the tour manager approached them on behalf of the board to see if they would be willing to fill the breach. According to sources, the players unanimously refused to discuss the matter, and subsequently contacted the board to advise it that they would not do anything until negotiations between WICB and WIPA were completed."

The West Indies board is keen to settle this dispute, for a failure to honour their commitment to the ICC-approved schedule could result in sanctions and fines to the tune of US$ 2 million, something the West Indies board can ill afford at the moment.

"We have a responsibility to Sri Lanka, India and the ICC to honour the agreement for this Test series and one-day international triangular contest and we will do all in our power to meet that commitment," said Braithwaite.

Meanwhile, the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) has said it was ready to compromise further "to ensure the tour of Sri Lanka takes place with the best players chosen on merit and cricketing ability".

Dinanath Ramnarine, the President of WIPA, informed through a media release, that a fresh proposal had been tabled before the board. It is our "considered view that, having regard to all the present circumstances, our proposal is both fair and reasonable to all parties," he said.

The West Indian team is slated to play two Tests against Sri Lanka, apart from a triangular series involving India.

(Cricinfo)

(The clause of all trouble)