The West Indies Cricket Board said the 30 players announced earlier for the Champions Trophy would remain, despite the end of the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) strike which had resulted in the top players missing the ongoing Bangladesh series in protest.

This would mean that top players like Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Dwayne Bravo, besides Gayle, who were the leading lights of the pay dispute strike could miss the September 22 to October 5 tournament.

Fast bowler Fidel Edwards and Darren Powell, who also took part in the strike, however, made the cut to the 30-man preliminary squad made up of inexperienced players.

“This squad was chosen from among those players who declared themselves available for selection for the tournament within the deadline date for finalisation of the 30,” a WICB media release said.

“Selection of players by the selection committee of the WICB will at all times be made from the pool of players who make themselves available for selection and based on performance, conduct and demonstrated commitment to West Indies cricket.”

None of the striking players were included in the ODI squad against Bangladesh, which will be captained by 36-year-old Barbadian Floyd Reifer with Darren Sammy as his deputy.

Gayle and some players had made themselves unavailable for the Bangladesh series over pay and contract issues and resulted in a makeshift Windies side being hastily assembled for the two-Test series against Bangladesh.

Following a meeting between the WICB, WIPA and CARICOM chairman, Guyana’s president Bharrat Jagdeo on Tuesday, it was agreed that the players would make themselves available for selection while the outstanding issues were taken to arbitration.

Former Commonwealth Secretary General Shridath Ramphal was appointed as an arbitrator.

Following the end of strike it was expected that leading players would return for Sunday’s first One-dayer against Bangladesh after a weakened squad lost both matches of the two-Test series but the WICB did otherwise.

“They (are) not picking us for the first two games; so I guess that sums up the situation,” said Gayle.

“They are the boss playing hard ball,” he added. The bulk of the 30-man provisional Champions Trophy squad comprises inexperienced players who contested the Bangladesh series, many of whom have precious little international or first-class experience.

One day after Bangladesh players completed a two-Test series sweep of the West Indies for their first overseas series triumph, West Indies players agreed to resume representing the region.

Players have been fighting the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over pay but returned after the appointment of Ramphal at a meeting convened by Guyana’s President, Bharrat Jagdeo, at the request of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).

Jagdeo is the current chairman of the 15-nation Caribbean Community (Caricom).

“It was agreed that, in light of the mediation agreement the parties expect to lead to the resolution of outstanding issues, all the players will make themselves available for selection,” they said in a joint statement.

WIPA and WICB have also agreed to each nominate a facilitator to assist Ramphal in his work.

“The mediation team, with assistance from the Caricom secretariat, would begin work immediately,” they said in the statement.

“Both parties have taken this step, mindful of the interest of their respective organisations but conscious also of their wider responsibility to the people of the West Indies and the international sport of cricket,” the organisations added.

The memorandum of understanding was signed by WIPA President Dinanath Ramnarine and WICB President Dr. Julian Hunte in the presence of the Guyanese leader.

The latest dispute erupted two weeks ago, when 13 of the leading players made themselves unavailable for the first test against Bangladesh in St. Vincent, citing pay and contract issues.

Except for Haiti and Surinam, the remainder of Caricom member nations are former British colonies and international cricket-playing nations from which the West Indies team is drawn.

Thirteen leading West Indies players, including captain Chris Gayle, have gone on strike and boycotted the first Test against Bangladesh over pending contract issues. The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) struggled to get a second string side that lost the match.

The WICB has asked the rebel players to apologies or face non-selection for the Champions Trophy in South Africa in September.

In retaliation, the WIPA has send a strongly worded letter to the WICB and demanded apology for mismanagement in the affairs of the board, reports the Trinidad Guardian.

The letter was laced with sarcasm and said: “We apologies for demanding that our members play with a contract clearly outlining the terms and conditions.

“For insisting that all contracts be negotiated by WIPA prior to their being offered to the players.

“For asking the WICB to honour the agreement and pay the medical treatment when players sustain injuries.

“For asking that the WICB honour the 2007-2008 agreement and compensate the players who have been injured.

“For asking the WICB to deposit funds it had deducted from the players’ salaries and which it failed to pay to the Players Provident Fund Account (Pension Plan) for almost a year.

“For asking the WICB to reimburse players who sometimes have to purchase their own airline tickets while on duty for the West Indies.

“For not having training camps and specialist camps for the preparation of the team.

“For accepting to play in a series against England at a time of year when no other team has ever played.

“For asking that the WICB not sell players’ intellectual property and image rights without permission.”

The Players, the association said, “would be willing to apologies if the players had:

“Lost Five (5) million US Dollars in the sanctioning of a one-off international 20/20.

“Lost three (3) million US Dollars as a result of breach of agreement.

“Spent one (1) million US Dollars in the courts in London unsuccessfully defending a legal action.

“Had to defend several other claims for breach of contract, including one where the estimated loss of revenue is $500,000.00 US Dollars per year.

“Lost almost US $10 million dollars in almost one year for breach of agreements with third parties.”

“A perusal of the above should indicate from where the apology should come,” it added.

WIPA chief executive Dinanath Ramnarine said the striking players are united in their stance.

“Although they want to play, they’re not going to back down under this pressure,” he said.

WICB vice-president Dave Cameron said he was not aware of the latest development, but made it clear that any player who wanted to make himself available for the second Test would be considered for selection in the Champions Trophy.

“I cannot say if any of the players changed their minds they would be back into the team for the second Test,, but I think that they should be given a look at,” Cameron said.

A 15-man squad, captained by 36-year-old Floyd Reifer, whose last of four Test appearances was over 10 years ago, features 16-year-old Barbadian batsman Kraigg Brathwaite who, if he plays would become the youngest West Indian Test player.

None of the original 13 players selected for the match, prior to the West Indies Players Association announcing their withdrawal from the Bangladesh series, have been named.

Darren Sammy, selected as vice-captain, is the only player in the squad to have been a regular member of the West Indies set up in the past year.

West Indies Cricket Board president Julian Hunte declined on Wednesday to comment on the recruitment of players but said there had been “a lot of intimidation of players”.

The WICB chief declined to comment on who had carried out the intimidation or give any details about which players had been approached.

Tino Best, the 27-year-old Barbados pace bowler, who last featured in a Test match in 2005, was in the squad along with fellow Bajan, opening batsman Dale Richards who has narrowly missed out on Test appearances.

But the bulk of players are debutants with only regional cricket experience including Brathwaite who was flown in from a regional under-19 tournament in Jamaica.

Jamaican fast bowler Daren Powell, not included in the selected 13, said on Wednesday he had been approached by the board to play but had turned down the chance.

“I was contacted by the West Indies board but I told them I was not available this time,” Powell said.

The West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) announced on Tuesday the Test squad, captained by Chris Gayle, had withdrawn from the series with immediate effect.

The WIPA said they were owed payments for recent games and that the players have performed in the last four series without contracts.

“Heading home. Sorry to all the cricket fans. This is the last thing we want to happen to the game. Need respect and stop taking us for granted,” Gayle said.

The WICB said the boycott was “extremely ill advised and premature” and said it considered negotiations with the WIPA were ongoing.

West Indies squad:

Floyd Reifer (captain), Darren Sammy, Ryan Austin, Tino Best, David Bernard, Kraigg Brathwaite, Andre Creary, Travis Dowlin, Nikita Miller, Kevin McClean, Nelon Pascal, Omar Phillips, Dale Richards, Kemar Roach, Chadwick Walton.

But Julian Hunte, president of the West Indies Cricket Board said the first Test in St.Vincent would go ahead, although he refused to be drawn on whether they would select an alternative squad for the game.

The West Indies Players Association (WIPA) said it had attempted to hold talks in the past few days with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to resolve a number of issues.

“The players have requested me as President of WIPA, the players’ body, to inform the WICB, sponsors and the public that, regretfully, they cannot with immediate effect continue playing without any contracts with the WICB,” WIPA president Dinanath Ramnarine said in a statement.

WICB president Hunte, however, said he still expected the series to go ahead.

“As far as we are concerned (there) will be a Test match on Thursday,” he said when contacted by telephone.

Hunte declined to comment on whether the WICB was now seeking to recruit an alternative team to replace those on strike.

“Goodness me, we can’t play a Test match without players. I can’t go beyond that,” he said, adding that he intended to release a statement about the game on Wednesday.

Media reports in the Caribbean said most players from the West Indies squad had returned to their homes and were not preparing as planned for Thursday’s game.

The union, which threatened strike action during England’s tour of the Caribbean in March, said the West Indies players have played the last four series without a contract.

In a lengthy statement, the WICB detailed the financial disputes between itself and the WIPA regarding payments for the tour of England in May, the Twenty20 World Cup and the recent four-match ODI series against India in the Caribbean.

All of those competitions were highlighted by WIPA as being at the centre of the dispute.

The WICB said as far as it was concerned negotiations were ongoing to resolve their issues, though the players, who met at the weekend, have clearly lost patience with their employers.

“The decision was taken that if the WICB did not meet with WIPA to resolve outstanding issues, the players would not make themselves available to participate in the upcoming series against Bangladesh,” the WIPA statement said.

“We have written to the WICB to meet on Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th July, but unfortunately the WICB have not responded.”

Bangladesh are already in the Caribbean having played a warm-up game in Barbados against a West Indies A team.