WICB task force armed with mandate, given month to report

St. John's (Antigua), Nov 15 (IANS/CMC) The task force set up to investigate the abandoned tour of India has been given a detailed mandate by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and asked to report its findings by Dec 13.

This comes as the Windies board attempts to accelerate the search for a solution to the latest crisis that has rocked West Indies cricket and resulted in major international fallout, reports CMC.

A release from the WICB said the task force would be guided by three considerations which involve not only investigating the reasons for the players' controversial action but also examining the relationships between the WICB, the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and players, and also recommending a dispute mechanism to deal with such future crises.

"(It will) investigate the cause of the actions perpetuated by the players leading to the withdrawal of their services," the WICB said in reference to the task force.

"Based on the facts which emerge, the Task Force will render their opinion of the degree of culpability attributed to the WICB, to the WIPA and to the players and whether the action of the players was justifiable or considered a reasonable course of action."

The task force will also look at the WIPA, WICB and players relationship "with a view to making recommendations on the nature and structure of the relationship between WICB and the cricketers (separate and apart from the relationship between WICB and WIPA)".

Significantly, the Board has also asked the task force to "design and propose a fast-track dispute resolution mechanism, which would apply to ongoing tours, and give the players an expedited process through which they could ventilate any issues."

This, according to the WICB, would prevent a recurrence of what happened in India.

The task force will be chaired by Michael Gordon QC and includes legendary former fast bowler Wes Hall, a former WICB president.

However, prominent Barbadian lawyer Sir Richard Cheltenham has replaced Dennis Lalor, who the WICB said withdrew in light of "a potential conflict of interest".

--IANS/CMC

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