Is there an ulterior motive by the sponsor of the Sanford 20/20?

Oct 30, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I’d like to express my disagreement with this Stanford twenty-twenty for US$20 million. I do not object to Mr. Stanford putting his money into cricket in the interest of the cricketers and the development of the game, but there are certain aspects of this particular tournament that do not seem right and I’m wondering if there isn’t some ulterior motive by the sponsor.

This is the first time that I know, at this level of sport, where the winning team or individual in a match or series of matches gets all the money and the loser gets none. Neither the players nor the boards should have agreed to this.

It reminds me of two teams of softball players who put their monies together and bet, where the winning team gets all, excepting in the case of the super match, the players are not putting up anything. Mr. Stanford is. His reason is still to be determined.

Another deviation from the norm is that only the 11 players on the team get the US$1 million each while the standby (two or three) get a small proportion.

Even though the amounts received by the standby players may be a tangible sum, the players should insist that each member of the full team gets the same amount.

This is more in keeping with the way the West Indies pay their players (based on seniority). In this regard, I would recommend that the 11 playing members share the total winnings with all the players in the full side equally. Mr. Stanford cannot stop this from happening. Thirdly, I think the amount of money played for is far too great.

Mr. Stanford should not be allowed to disrupt the income structure of our players which is well organised by the W.I.C.B in conjunction with the W.I.P.A.

So much money earned by one person for one match is obscene compared to what our regular West Indies players earn for playing test and one day internationals on a regular basis.

Bear in mind, most of the players in the super match have never played a test match for the West Indies. The money available should be more evenly distributed among players in the West Indies.

Recently, Mr. Tony Cozier wrote about the haves and the have nots in West Indian cricket comparing what test cricketers earn with those playing for the countries but not making the test team.

I feel that a greater proportion of Mr. Stanford’s money should be given to the Board to be used for paying the Regional cricketers better.

Stanford’s payment schedule can also act as a demotivating factor against some of these same cricketers working towards getting into the test team.

I know that this match is Stanford’s business and the Boards do not have much say. But Stanford needs the Boards’ approval and support and this should give the latter some clout.

Furthermore, the governments in the Region need to have some control over earnings as against work done so that the system may appear to be fair to everyone in the society. I also expect the players to pay their income and property taxes so as to help those in need.

Finally, I hope that the West Indies or Stanford Super Stars win on Saturday for the only reason that US$20 million remains in the Caribbean where we need it much more than England does.
Fazel Khan

Note: If these views appear identical to those of a caller on Wednesday morning show on television, it is because I was the caller and it was after that I decided to write to the press.

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Is there an ulterior motive by the sponsor of the Sanford 20/20?

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