With the ongoing contract tussle between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), former West Indian fast bowler Michael Holding says that it is unreasonable to tell players to take huge cuts in their salaries.
In an interview with a prominent tabloid, when asked if he agreed with the players’ conduct of going on a strike when on an overseas tour, he said, “My understanding is thaat this has been going on for some time. They threatened to strike because the contracts they were asked to sign were not what they were told. It happened before as well and that is the spur for Darren Sammy losing his captaincy. It is not about going on a strike in a foreign country and that country not being happy.
It is a matter of timing and players not being happy with the contracts. But the players have realised that the strike is not the way forward and there is a better way of putting your grievances across.”
Holding agreed that there is some truth behind the players’ claim of the board trying to project them as greedy. “Yes there is an element of truth in that. But in the current crisis, I don’t think the board can escape saying the players are being greedy. I don’t have the full facts but what I get to understand is that the players have been told to take huge cut in their salaries. I’m told the proposed salary cuts go up to 75 per cent and if that is true, then it is totally unreasonable. That is something no company will ever tell its employers. “
“Long-term solutions are needed. The board and players should sit together and hammer out solutions. The players were told that the MoU (over salary structure) is final. I don’t think that is the way to address the issue. That is ridiculous. After signing the contract, the players have been told to negotiate. What is the point?” he added.
West Indies will face India for the remaining two matches in Dharamshala and Kolkata on October 17 and 20 respectively after the third ODI at Vishakhapatnam was cancelled owing to the cyclone Hudhud.
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