NATION NEWS
Dyson: Send them back to me
Published on: 3/19/08.

WEST INDIES coach John Dyson has urged organisers of the Indian Premier League to allow his three most senior players to contest the Test series against Australia, or risk eroding the foundations of the game worldwide.
the Test series against Australia, or risk eroding the foundations of the game worldwide.

Dyson's comments follow an admission from the West Indies Cricket Board chief executive, Donald Peters, that his side could lose batting mainstays Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan and Shivnarine Chanderpaul for the first two Tests against Australia, scheduled for early May, due to IPL commitments.

Peters' statement highlighted the vulnerability of the International Cricket Council's smaller nations to raids from lucrative Twenty20 competitions – a situation that has prompted player unions to call for an annual "IPL window" to avoid scheduling conflicts. The proposal is being discussed at an ICC executive meeting in Dubai this week.

Speaking to the Sydney Morning Herald from Guyana, Dyson called on the IPL not to "cannibalise" Test nations, and stated in no uncertain terms that he expected all West Indian squad members to report to a training camp one week before the start of the Australia series.

"It was my understanding that the IPL chiefs have said that international cricket remains the priority, and now it is up to them to keep their promise," Dyson said.

Pressuring players

"What [Peters] was saying was that, with the amounts of money currently involved, if an IPL franchise was to pressure our players into completing the tournament, they would be in a very difficult situation.

"I assume the IPL bosses have sat down and thought about the long-term future of their tournament and have considered the question of where their next generation of players will come from.

"It's important, then, that they don't cannibalise international or domestic competitions as they stand, because they will presumably need players to come through in the future.

"I expect the IPL to keep their promise, and I expect our players to be back here a week before the Australian series.

"If they don't, then it's up to the [West Indies] board to decide what the appropriate action is."

The IPL chairman, Lalit Modi, said the availability of Gayle, Sarwan and Chanderpaul was a matter for the West Indies Cricket Board. The IPL has repeatedly stated its belief that international cricket should take priority, but said the West Indian trio would be accepted into the Indian domestic competition if they had the blessing of their board.