At issue is sponsorship of the West Indies team for the 1999 World Cup in England and the tour of England the following year.
The UB Group, the giant Indian corporation which has supported the West Indies on overseas tours since the 1995 Champions Trophy in Sharjah through its Kingfisher beer and mineral water, has charged the WICB with trying to exclude it in favour of another sponsor.
Acknowledging that the WICB is keen to finalise agreements for both tours, marketing director Chris Dehring claimed that Kingfisher have been unable to finalise the deal and there are other firm offers on the table.
UB Group chairman Vijay Mallya maintained that Kingfisher has a Òfirst right of refusalÓ on sponsorship for future overseas tours by the West Indies Õtil the year 2000 and accused the WICB of trying to back out of it. He said it was Ònot willing to alter, dilute or surrenderÓ the right.
It sponsored the West Indies team on its recent tours of Pakistan and Sharjah and will do so on the full tour to South Africa later this year. In addition to the basic, undisclosed sum, it has put up incentive awards for players and provides team outfits.
In letters to WICB president Pat Rousseau and marketing committee chairman Teddy Griffith, Mallya objected to what he termed pressure being put on the UB Group through the imposition of deadlines as much as 18 months prior to the World Cup.
He explained that UB was negotiating with the England Cricket Board, the organisers, for sponsorship of the World Cup in the beer category and could not conclude their agreement with the West Indies until that is settled.
ÒSince category sponsorship will guarantee exclusivity, whether we can sponsor the West Indies or not will depend on us being successful in our bid,Ó Mallya said.
ÒWe are confident we will be successful and have asked the WICB to extend their deadline accordingly til January 30 but they have stated that they are proceeding to conclude arrangements with another party.Ó
He called the WICB attitude Òunnecessarily harsh and compromisingÓ.
Dehring noted UBÕs position but said they should appreciate that the WICB Òcould not continue holding on, holding onÓ.
ÒWe have other firm offers on the table and we cant afford to be caught out as we were in Australia (in 1996-97),Ó Dehring said.
ÒWe lost out heavily there when one of AustraliaÕs main sponsors, Carlton and United Brewery, objected to the clash with Kingfisher.Ó
Under International Cricket Council regulations, the home teamÕs sponsor takes precedence in any such conflict, Dehring explained.
England have been prevented from promoting their sponsor, Vodafone, the mobile telephone company, because West Indies cricket is sponsored by Cable & Wireless, a rival outfit.
In his letters to Rousseau and Griffith, Mallya appealed for Òfair and equitable treatment in return for all the support it (UB) has rendered through sponsorship of the West Indies teamÓ.
ÒThe erratic performance of the team and the often reported lack of leadership and team spirit has not dampened our enthusiasm to continue our support,Ó he added.