ST JOHN'S, Antigua, CMC

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Julian Hunte is responding sharply to suggestions that the board could face financial turmoil if Sir Allen Stanford pulls out of the sport in the region.

Last Monday, the Antigua-based Texan billionaire dissolved his board of West Indies cricket legends and announced he is reviewing his involvement in cricket.

"The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) does not depend on Mr Allen Stanford for its financial well-being," Hunte declared in a WICB release last Saturday evening.

Stanford's future involvement in West Indies cricket appears to hang in the balance and while Hunte declared that he would stay away from any "detailed comment" while the review process is undertaken, was seeking to clarify the board's current involvement with Stanford.

Contractual dispute

The American was locked in an acrimonious contractual dispute between the WICB and its main sponsors Digicel that threatened to overturn the lucrative recent Stanford 20/20 for 20 series, and he confirmed last week that he would not fully withdraw from cricket, confirming that he wishes to continue to work with the England and Wales Cricket Board.

WICB president Hunte reacted to world-wide reaction to Stanford's pronouncements and the weekend press release addressed a "speculative article on a cricket website about the potential impact of Stanford's decision on the future financial stability of the WICB."

Hunte acknowledged that WICB officials have been confronted by several queries, which cannot be fully addressed at this time.

But Hunte was willing to say that the Stanford Group has handed over US$2 million to the WICB and suggested that the board is ready and prepared to fund West Indies cricket through other structured arrangements.

"The facts are, however, that to date, the WICB has received only US$2 million from the Stanford Group as licence fees for the first two years of a five-year agreement for the Group to host the domestic Stanford 20/20 Tournament."

The WICB release said it has a packed Future Tours Programme to implement over the next three years and beyond, which will provide revenues that are required to meet its commitments.