Is that Stanford match on or not?

The arbitration in London has ruled in favour of Digicel in the latest episode of the long-running soap opera that is West Indies cricket.

Mikesiva examines the saga

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WHAT DOES THIS ruling in London mean for the Stanford Super Series? Is it still on, or is the Series in doubt?

If you read English newspapers, you would be in no doubt about the demise of this 20/20 competition. And, depending on who you read, they will either be rubbing their hands in glee at the demise of Allen Stanford's competition, or shaking their head in sadness at yet another Caribbean cricket fiasco.

But is it all doom and gloom?

HISTORY OF STANFORD

Let's look at the history of Allen Stanford's involvement in the game of cricket. It's by understanding the past that we can get a peek at what the future holds....

Allen Stanford comes from a Texan family that has strong involvement in sports marketing. He officially resides in the US Virgin Islands, and has recnetly developed strong business interests in Antigua. One of the first things he observed is how poorly paid international cricketers were, in comparison to American sports stars.

He found Test cricket boring, and thought it was anachronistic, and that outside of die-hard fans, no new fans would be interested in following a game that lasts all of five days. However, he saw 20/20 cricket as an exciting format of the game that could be marketed at potential fans with disposable income, especially in the United States.

Stanford then exercised the initiative that the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) should have exhibited, and started up a domestic 20/20 competition, that far outshone the four-day and one-day competitions staged by the authorities. Under Ken Gordon, the WICB tried to fight him, but the fans and the players, and even most of the ex-players, supported Stanford and his vision. In the end, Gordon fell, and new president Julian Hunte is trying to work with Stanford.

THE SUPER SERIES

But for all his good intentions, Hunte seems to be bungling along in the traditional WICB way. He inherited a ridiculous contract with Irish sponsors Digicel that seemed to sell the very soul of West Indies cricket to the telecommunications giant. And Digicel did not take kindly to this American upstart who was attracting a lot of attention to his domestic cricket competition, which had two successful stagings.

But Stanford wanted to go international, and he got what he wanted when he secured the signature of the English Cricket Board (ECB) to a Super Series, that also included the domestic champions of the Caribbean (Trinidad) and England (Middlesex). He has put up a mammoth US$20 million for the winners!

Digicel wanted in, as main sponsors of the West Indies team, but Stanford resisted, saying this was not an official WI team, and that they were the Stanford Super Stars. Digicel took the case to the highest court in Antigua, which is the High Court in London, and won their case. Hence, the English traditionalists have been rubbing their hands in glee, predicting the downfall of this American outsider.

IMPACT OF THE COURT CASE

So, what does this mean? Basically, Stanford cannot use the centrally contracted WI players in the team, and the WICB will have to withdraw their sanction of the match, if Digicel and Stanford cannot arrive at an agreement. That sounds like Digicel have the whip hand....

But do they really? Let's take a closer look....

Only a half a dozen WIndies players are centrally contracted, and one of them, Dwayne Bravo, is injured and willb e undergoing an operation soon. Crucially, it hasn't been confirmed yet, but it is rumoured - and strongly possible - that the contracts expired last month!

Even if they're in effect, who are the players likely to be affected by this ruling? The main players are Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, and Chris Gayle. Chanderpaul clearly loves Test cricket, and if forced to make a choice, would most likely opt for the West Indies team. But Gayle and Sarwan, if pressed, might very likely retire from Test cricket and the WI team to play in the Stanford Super Stars. They have both had run-ins with the WICB, and it's clear that they think more of Stanford than they do of the WI authorities....

So, Digicel are not really in a position to force Stanford's hand, or they could lose out. Their best bet is to use the court ruling to get Stanford to allow Digicel to have proper marketing during the match, such as their name on the shirts, etc.

WHO WILL WIN?

Once all the publicity over the court action dies down, as it inevitably will, the question will be asked - who will win this tournament?

Don't let the WI's lowly ranking fool you. On their tour of England last year, the West Indies played two 20/20 matches, and won the first one. England narrowly won the second, to tie the series at 1-1.

And in the rain-affected 20/20 match agianst Australia earlier this year, the WIndies won that as well....

WHAT DOES STANFORD GET OUT OF IT?

Many fans are puzzled about why this Texan would be pouring so much money into this 20/20 competition, with no apparent returns. Stanford has a long-term vision, and he has now bought the long-term rights to this form of the game in the Caribbean.

He owns an airline in Antigua, and he also owns hotels in the sunny Caribbean island, which boasts a white-sand beach for every day of the year. However, there are many islands in the Caribbean that offer the same features, so what does Antigua have that's different? The answer is 20/20 cricket....

Stanford has been marketing 20/20 cricket to a niche American audience during the last two stagings of the domestic competition, and he has been pleased with its initial success. Now, he's after bigger fish to fry, and the series with England is just that.

So, he knows what he's doing! He's not one of the richest men in America for nothing....