Associated Press

Bridgetown, March 5:

West Indies cricket captain Brian Lara and other leading players will be dropped for the home series against South Africa and Pakistan because of their contracts with former national team sponsor Cable and Wireless. West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Teddy Griffith said that Lara, Chris Gayle, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Dwayne Bravo, Fidel Edwards, Ravi Rampaul and Dwayne Smith would be not considered for selection because of their existing contracts with a competitor of the board’s title sponsor, Digicel. Griffith made the announcement live on radio and television, clarifying the WICB’s position on the most controversial issue which has plagued the region’s cricket for four months. He said the board instructed its selectors to choose a squad of 25 to 30 in preparation for the series and will issue invitations to the players, who will be required to respond by March 11. The tours by South Africa in April-May and Pakistan in May-June are the first home series under Digicel’s five-year, $20 million deal, and Griffith said the WICB cannot risk breaching its contract with its new sponsor.