Caribbean political leaders are to hold crisis talks Friday to try to break the prolonged impasse between the West Indies cricket team and its board, mediators said. The latest dispute erupted in July when 13 of the leading West Indies players made themselves unavailable for the first Test against Bangladesh in Saint Vincent, citing pay and contract issues. Talks mediated by the Guyana-based Caribbean Community (Caricom) broke down last week when the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) appeared close to a deal. Friday will see regional leaders explore ways to break the deadlock over issues such as contracts, medical benefits, sponsorship fees and image rights, Caricom Secretary General Edwin Carrington said Wednesday. The leaders of Guyana, Barbados, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Antigua and Barbuda are among those expected at the meeting.
