By Morissa Lindsay
Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) president Conde Riley has described an impasse between former Barbados and West Indies batsman Kirk Edwards and the BCA that led to a hefty out-of-court settlement in favour of Edwards, as a very “unfortunate” development. He also stressed that there was no reason for his board to resign over the settlement.
Edwards was recently awarded over BDS$200, 000 in damages by the BCA over a 2014 incident that resulted in a breach of his contract and significant losses after being removed as captain of the Barbados team and being subsequently sent home from the NAGICO Super50 competition played in Trinidad and Tobago at the time.
Riley told Barbados TODAY that under the advice of the BCA’s lawyers, they made the decision to settle the matter out of court to avoid any greater repercussions and a prolonged court hearing. “Our lawyers advised us to discuss the matter rather than go to court and spend a long time in court. So, once the lawyers met, they came up with a figure and advised us and we took the lawyers’ advice,” he said.
A former West Indies A captain and senior West Indies team vice-captain, Edwards had a promising career sullied over an issue in which he refused to sign for his Barbados playing kit and was soon basically blacklisted. It was a turning point in Edwards’ career as after
being dropped by Barbados his cricketing fortunes nose-dived both regionally and internationally.
Kevin Stoute was elevated as captain of the Barbados One-Day side in 2014 after Edwards received his marching orders. When asked whether he believed Edwards should have been stripped of the captaincy and treated in such a manner, Riley stated: “He was the incumbent captain, we won under him the year before and that was an unfortunate situation and that is all I would say at this time.”
Riley explained that under his leadership as president, individual players do not have to sign for any kits and it has been that way ever since he took up the position in 2017.
“You would see that all the clubs and schools in Barbados have kits and they don’t have to sign. The clubs would sign for it and then they distribute it to the actual players. So, all the clubs in Barbados and the schools get kits from the BCA and each player doesn’t have to sign for anything; the club or the school signs for it. That is what we did from the time I became president,” Riley told Barbados TODAY.
One of the more talented opening batsmen of his era, Edwards who is now age 37, scored 110 against India in Dominica in 2011 on his Test debut. Edwards registered ten first-class hundreds with his highest individual score being 190 against Sri Lanka at Warner Park.
At the time of Edwards’ turmoil, cricket administrator Hartley Reid was the Barbados manager. After it was revealed that the BCA was going to pay Edwards damages, Reid was reported in another section of the media as calling for the BCA board to resign. During the impasse West Indies Players Association President Wavell Hinds had criticized Reid for his handling of the issue.
However, Riley told Barbados TODAY there was no reason for the BCA board to resign over the settlement. He stressed that the decision taken to settle the matter out of court was based on the advice of the BCA lawyers in whom the board had full confidence to do their job effectively and efficiently.
“Resign for what? Our board took the advice of our lawyers, our esteemed counsel. Although we have two lawyers on our board, with something like that, once we got the claim, we passed it on to our various committees and our lawyers. So, it was not a board decision, it was the lawyers’ advice as the professionals,” Riley stated. morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb
