Kenya: CK End Standoff With Players Over Contracts

Nairobi Star (Nairobi)

Dun Okinyo

23 June 2011

The stand-off between the national team and Cricket Kenya (CK) over pending contracts has been resolved with revolting players agreeing to sign the contracts tomorrow.

The agreement was reached during a meeting with CK chief executive Tom Sears. The CK boss said 20 players will be contracted for a period of one year, subject to review after every three months. “We have always been in consultations with the players and it’s good that we have reached an agreement. We will give 20 players contracts so that we can have big pool of players to look at,” he said.

The players, who had earlier called a press conference and threatened not to sign the contracts, all attended a meeting with the CEO and were accompanied by their chairman Isaiah Odhiambo. In their earlier meeting, the players had resolved not to honour the contracts. Sears said the contracts are offering a better deal that will encourage players to work even harder.

Last month, CK announced that they will contract only 12 players for one year, a proposal which the players rejected.

Sears said the next month’s Africa Premier League in Uganda will be the first tournament CK will use to consider the contracts.

“We want the players to concentrate as much as they can with their cricket and in the end get the much needed results,” he said and refuted claims that the decision to review the contracts every after three months would affect performance.

AllAfrica – All the Time