The multi-million-dollar Max60 Caribbean cricket tournament in Cayman ended in controversy this week with international stars refusing to take the field amid claims they had not been paid.
The televised tournament – which featured some of the biggest names in the game including Australian international David Warner, England’s Alex Hales and West Indies Carlos Brathwaite – saw the schedule impacted and the finals cancelled due to strike action from key players.
Much of the short-format 10 over competition had been completed when frustrations over pay boiled over on Tuesday.
Organisers BMP sports confirmed that games did not proceed and that the Caribbean Tigers had been declared the champions because of their winning record to that point.
In a press release on its Instagram page, the Dubai-based company claimed players involved in series 1, which took place last year, had been paid the full US$1.25 million in wages. It also stated that broadcasters had been paid in full and that the tournament organisers had invested US$2.5 million in Cayman cricket.
It said the players involved in series 2 – the tournament taking place in West Bay this week – had received an initial payment and were due a second payment on the completion of the event and a third payment 30 days later. Those payments may now be compromised by the industrial action, the statement suggests.
“We understand there were some aggrieved parties that instigated the missed matches. This will be investigated and appropriate action taken in due course to recover damages to the league,” the statement indicates.
“We appreciate that players are aggrieved from various leagues around the world, but it is inappropriate to take this stand in the Cayman Islands.”
ESPN reported the incident this week, linking it to wider frustrations among players about late and missing payments in multiple short-format franchise tournaments around the world.
“It’s disappointing to hear that players still haven’t been paid what they’re owed under their contracts,” Tom Moffat, the World Cricketers’ Association chief executive, said of the reports of player action at Max60.
“Players have fulfilled their commitments in good faith the whole way along, but it’s unreasonable for anyone to expect them to continue to turn up and put on the show if the terms of their contracts have flagrantly been breached.”
BMP’s statement appears to refute suggestions that the contracts were breached. There has been no official statement from the players involved, but several sources confirmed to the Compass that players had taken action because they believed they had not been paid what they were promised.
Caymanian cricketers caught up in the turmoil
Several Caymanian players were involved in the tournament. As amateurs, their fees were due to be paid to the Cayman Cricket Board, which would then compensate them.
Ramon Sealy, who lined up alongside former England international Alex Hales for the Vegas Vikings, confirmed the reports of strike action.
For the Cayman players, he said there had been some issues with timing of payments at the last version of the tournament, but they had ultimately been paid everything they were promised.
He said the issue had impacted the tournament since the weekend with some of the international stars refusing to play, culminating in a decision from all of the players to decline to play on Tuesday.
He said the tournament had the potential to be great for the sport in Cayman and it was a disappointing way for the event to conclude. He added that the Cayman players had taken time off work to play and he hoped they would receive their promised pay.
Conroy Wright, captain of the Cayman national team and another player for the Vikings, said, “The first couple of days of the tournament were beautiful. It is a good tournament and most of the locals that have played have done pretty well.”
He said he was unclear on the details of the pay issue but he understood that some of the international stars had not been paid what they were promised.
He added, “This is much bigger than us and we just hope it can get resolved.”
The Cayman Cricket Board said it would be releasing a statement on the matter in short order.
