Minister of Sport Anil Roberts says he is willing to go the extra mile and do his best in order for T&T to have their elite players participate for this country at the Champions League but he needs concrete assurance before going to Cabinet. With T&T heading this year to the Champions League once more, the issue of club versus country has again reared up. T&T will be looking to have their IPL players on board with them for the tournament, but if their clubs qualify the same situation can arise as what transpired last year with Kieron Pollard, Dwayne Bravo and Sunil Narine choosing to play for their clubs.
Last time around, Roberts went to Cabinet with a note to get funding to keep the players with the T&T team and was successful in getting $5m. Of this, he was going to pay the players $3.3m (which they would have earned playing for their clubs), while the other $1.7m was put aside to negotiate performance-based incentives for three players. This time around, Roberts is still interested in the players playing with the T&T team but wants an assurance from them that they are going to play for the red, white and black. "The last time I took the players' word and went to Cabinet and was able to convince my peers and get them to approve TT$5m to keep them.
After I did all of that, they changed their minds and decided to go with their clubs," he said. "This is a serious matter and I am not going to Cabinet unless I get something concrete from the players that they will play for this country. Of course we want the players to represent us at the Champions League but let them sign an MOU with the T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) and let the TTCB come to me with it and I will surely take it to Cabinet and try to get the best deal for the players. "In the meantime, if they are not interested in doing that, then the TTCB must not waste time, let them get a budget to prepare who are willing to represent the country and let's see how best we can have things in place for them to win the tournament."
According to the Champions League contract as set out below, the players are free to choose who they are going to play for and playing for T&T would cost the TTCB nothing. If they decide to play for the clubs, the TTCB will get US$150,000 per player as transfer fee.
TEAM AND PLAYER ELIGIBILITY
Home Board Approval and Team Conflicts
2.7 - In circumstances where, during the Domestic Twenty20 Event immediately preceeding a CLT20 Event, a player (i) played for, (ii) was contracted to play for, or (III) had nominated in his central contract with his Home Board an obligation to play for, more than one Participating team, the following rules apply:
(a) The player is free to nominate by way of contract or otherwise which Participating team he wishes to represent in the relevant CLT20 event provided he is selected in the Squad List by that participating team on or before the Cut Off Date.
(b) To the extent a player's nominated Participating Team is his Home Board Team then, if selected in the Squad List by that Home Board Team on or before the cut off date, the Participating Member from who's domestic T20 event, the Home Board Team became eligible to participate in the CLT20 event will not be required to pay any fee to any other Participating Member or Participating Team as a result of that player playing for the Home Board Team in the CLT20 event.
(c) Subject to paragraph (g) below, to the extent a player's nominated Participating Team is not his Home Board Team then, the Participating Member from who's Domestic T20 event the Selected Overseas Team became eligible to participate in the CLT20 event must pay an amount of US$150,000 (the "transfer fee") to the Participating Member from who's domestic T20 event the Rejected Home Team became eligible to participate in the CLT20 event.
(d) The Rejected Participating Member and the Rejected Home Team will decide between themselves as to the allocation of the Transfer Fee or Total Transfer Payment Fee.
(e) The Selected Participating Member and the Selected Overseas Team will decide between themselves on the funding arrangements for the Transfer Fee.