Sponsor contract row simmers

FOR the fifth consecutive year, another West Indies series is shrouded in controversy as the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) wrestle over the contentious clause in the match/tour contract that covers players' individual endorsements and central team sponsorships.

Only three of the 13 players chosen for the forthcoming tour to Sri Lanka - Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Daren Powell, the fast bowler, and Denesh Ramdin, the new wicketkeeper - had signed their contracts by the WICB's deadline of last Monday, the Trinidad & Tobago Express reported.

The WIPA said last week that the contract did not sufficiently protect the individual's property rights "as presently drafted".

The WICB's executive committee is scheduled to meet today to decide its response to the latest crisis. - Cricinfo