Digicel are currently crossing wires with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) over November's Stanford 20/20 US$20 million match. But the man behind the mega bucks game has a message for the Irish telecommunications giants: Don't get in the way!
"If Digicel or anybody else wants to throw a roadblock in this for whatever reason, in my humble estimation, based on the money that I'm putting out which is more than Digicel or anybody else has ever put out, they don't have the cricket future of the West Indies in their heart, and soul," was Stanford's response to the regional media on the on-going dispute.
The WICB and their principal sponsors are at an impasse over Digicel's claim that the Stanford match constitutes a breach of their sponsorship agreement with regional cricket's governing body.
The Board beg to differ.
Three weeks of negotiations had failed to produce a settlement up to last week. Arbitration looms as a final decider of the matter.
But on Monday evening at the Hyatt Regency, Stanford echoed the explanation given to the Express last week by WICB CEO Dr Donald Peters and denied that his match was a WICB venture.
"Digicel has to deal with the WICB, the WICB has the West Indies team. We have the Stanford Superstar Team which was selected by the Legends here, not by the WICB selectors, totally different, totally apart," Stanford said following the ring ceremony and dinner for the 2008 Stanford 20/20 champions, Trinidad and Tobago.
The billionaire Texan also sought to explain the arrangements for the winner-take-all game set for the Stanford Ground in Antigua.
"We entered into an agreement with the West Indies Cricket Board and the England and Wales Cricket Board with the clear understanding that we have an agreement to play this match with us having, in other words-the Stanford 20/20-the sole rights to sell the marketing branding, TV etc worldwide. There were no other restrictions placed on us."
Earlier, in formally addressing the gathering, Stanford labelled his 20/20 venture "a crusade".
Flanked by 11 of the 12 Legends on his Board, he said: "It's not a programme, it's not an investment. It's a crusade to save our sport and take us into the modern era."
Stanford also noted that T&T's success was due to the fact that they played like a team and "had the resources, the support of your government, and you have the support of your people and you're from a big island. But we need to get that in every island and every government has to support."
In his turn at the podium, the oldest Legend, 83-year-old Sir Everton Weekes, endorsed Stanford's rallying call.
"Twenty/20 is not just about money. Twenty/20 is about bringing back West Indies cricket to where it really belongs.
