Bravo: Windies at risk of another player strike

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The West Indies players are on the brink of another strike over salaries, after Dwayne Bravo wrote an angry letter to Player Association boss Wavell Hinds, demanding clarification on many issues.

A few weeks ago, Hinds and the WIPA signed a new deal with the WICB, agreeing to cut the national team’s salaries and spread the cash around domestically, but Bravo insists no players were consulted about this, and says Hinds pulled the wool over their eyes.

He wrote to Hinds, according to Cricinfo: “We are disappointed with the lack of proper representation and the players are now forced to make this proposal without any details as to how this new purported agreement was even arrived at and by whom, since the only advice we have received from you as President and CEO of WIPA is to not sign the contract/agreement that was sent by the WICB.

“The players are of the view that as a matter of principle, we should not accept these conditions whereby we are being asked to play a series against India without any certainty of what are our obligations and what we will be playing for.”

Bravo also stressed that the players, in India on tour, were very demoralised, and that they felt betrayed by the way their supposed representatives released the new deal to the public.

He added: “As we have indicated to you earlier, the players here in India are under tremendous stress and the team morale is at an all-time low. We believe that this present WIPA Executive under your leadership has failed to properly represent the best interest of ALL the players.

“Many are questioning whether there is now some “special relationship” between the WICB and WIPA which may be good for some but has not taken into account the whole picture resulting in the what may be seen as embarrassing and demonizing some players who represent the WI, yet signaling to public that this new purported agreement (MOU) is in the best interest of West Indies Cricket.

“This is evidenced by the inaccurate WIPA press statement which was sent after we raised our strong objections to you both verbally and in writing.”

He then went on to say that the India tour could be at risk, as players were prepared to down tools if their questions were not answered:

“We wish to make it very clear that should the players be forced to take matters into their our own hands, we will not hesitate to take the appropriate action as see fit. We will hold you and the WIPA Board who support this process liable.”

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