Hunts says meeting between board, WIPA going well

President of the West Indies Cricket Board Julian Hunte says negotiations between the regional body and the West Indies Players’ Association are going well.



The disclosure came hours before the departure of the West Indies team for the tour of England.



One of the main issues raised the players’ union recently was the level of fees paid to players taking part in regional competitions.



However, Hunte says the WICB has offered a revised package, which included increases in new match fees of up to 300 per cent on a tiered-basis.



The unscheduled tour of England had also been a contentious matter, which led to threats of the players boycotting matches in the recent home series against England.



Hunte says the scheduling of the England tour came following an agreement between WICB and the England and Wales Cricket Board to vary their 2010 Future Tour Programme to now take place in 2009 and 2012.



But the players were also upset that the WICB unilaterally agreed to the change without consulting WIPA. The players say the agreement between WICB and the England board put in jeopardy lucrative contracts for some players that had signed to play in the Indian Premier League.