The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) received US$120,000 each from the Mumbai Indians and Chennai Super Kings for the services of Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo respectively at the 2011 Nokia Champions League in India.
The revelation was made on Wednesday by Minister of Sport Anil Roberts who again accused TTCB president Azim Bassarath of deceiving him concerning Pollard and Bravo representing this country.
Roberts produced a letter dated August 17, 2011 where Bassarath sought to explain the problem surrounding TT’s star all-rounders non-participation in the Champions League for this country.
Bassarath had stated “the fact that Messrs Dwayne Bravo and Kieron Pollard were not included in our provisional squad, due to uncertainty…and that they were included, as far as we understand, on the provisional squads of their respective IPL franchises, to whom they are contracted, they are only eligible to participate in the Nokia Champions League for their respective franchises, if selected.
“This also prevents the TTCB from receiving any transfer fees for both players.”
But in a press conference on Wednesday, Roberts revealed that he did some investigation and contacted the CEOs of both IPL clubs who stated that a US$150,000 fee before tax was given to the TTCB for taking the two players for the Champions League.
“I did not want to stop there. I then wrote the TTCB and once again asked them how much if any payment or transfer fee was received for Kieron Pollard and Dwayne Bravo,” Roberts explained.
Replying to Minister Roberts, Suruj Ragoonath, TTCB Cricket Operations Manager, revealed that a transfer sum was paid by the IPL clubs to the local body.
Roberts said he has now been vindicated for his attack on the credibility of Bassarath and called on the TTCB boss to apologise to him.
“Remember it created quite a furore. Bassarath accused me of playing politics and supporting the ‘Friends of Cricket’ in a TTCB election, that I wanted to get him out of office and I was not supportive of the TTCB,” he continued.
The Minister argued that if the TTCB was experiencing financial problems in getting Pollard and Bravo to play for the “Red Force” then they should have come to him and the Ministry would have paid the amount to get them wearing national colours for the Champions League.
He believes that TT missed out on a valuable opportunity to win the Champions League and cited the “Red Force” two close defeats in the 2011 tournament as proof that Pollard and Bravo could have made the difference.
He warned National Sporting Organisations (NSOs) that it is a serious offence to submit false information to the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago and said there is a committee responsible for investigating such cases.
“This is a serious issue. Any NSO found to be giving Ministry officials, the Permanent Secretary or the Sport Company of Trinidad and Tobago false information will be dealt with very seriously,” he said.
