Date Posted: August 28, 2008.

Digicel, the sponsor of West Indies Cricket has initiated action which threatens to disrupt the proposed $20 million match between England and the Stanford Superstars to be held in Antigua on November 1, as part of the five-year, US$100 million series consisting of one All-Star match per year against an England select team. The telecommunications company has applied for an injunction before the High Court in London in respect of the proposed November 01, 2008 match. If successful, the proposed encounter could be disrupted.

The matter surrounds Digicel's assertion that the agreement between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB ) and Stanford encroaches on the telecommunication company's exclusive sponsorship rights. It has been reported that Stanford is close to signing on Digicel's competitor, Cable and Wireless, as a sponsor for the series. The position of both the WICB and Stanford is that the team that will play England on 1 November represents Stanford, and Stanford alone.

Digicel's agreement with the WICB says its sponsorship rights apply in respect of any match involving a team that "...represents, purports to represent or may reasonably be perceived as representing the West Indies...." and their position is that the 20/20 team is comprised of West Indies players and must therefore reasonably be seen to be a team representing the West Indies – and not one solely representing the interests of a private individual.

Digicel believes that the proposed event falls squarely and plainly within the parameters of Digicel’s Sponsorship Agreement with the WICB. The WICB's view is that Digicel's case is baseless because the team playing the Super Series is not the West Indies team but the Stanford Superstars, over which Digicel has no sponsorship rights.

By contrast sponsors of the England team (Vodafone) and has been confirmed by both the WICB and Stanford.

Digicel is seeking to take the matter to arbitration in London later in the year.

The Stanford Superstars squad is:

1. Lionel Baker (Montserrat)

2. Sulieman Benn (Barbados)

3. Dwayne Bravo (Trinidad and Tobago)

4. Shivnarine Chanderpaul (Guyana)

5. Lennox Cush (Guyana)

6. Rayad Emrit (Trinidad and Tobago)

7. Andre Fletcher (Grenada)

8. Chris Gayle (Jamaica)

9. Chad Hampson (Antigua and Barbuda)

10. Lindon James (St Vincent and the Grenadines)

11. Sylvester Joseph (Antigua and Barbuda)

12.  Xavier Marshall (Jamaica)

13. Dave Mohammed (Trinidad and Tobago)

14. Kieron Pollard (Trinidad and Tobago)

15. Daren Powell (Jamaica)

16. Ramnaresh Sarwan (Guyana)

17. Jerome Taylor (Jamaica)