Emrit worried for young club cricketers

EXPERIENCED cricketer Rayad Emrit said the majority of cricketers at Alescon Comets are normally paid after the season, but he is worried that youngsters would be affected if players have to wait so long to get paid.

Other premiership clubs competing in the various TT Cricket Board competitions have not paid their players for last season, while others have been able to pay players for the season that ended on May 30.

On Wednesday, Emrit stated his frustration over unpaid salaries on Facebook.

Emrit said, “I wonder how many club cricketers have played the entire season in Trinidad and have not received not even ONE CENT of their monies owed to them. We have tried to contact the relevant authorities but no success in that.”

Emrit also said, “PLEASE PAY WHATS (sic) OWED TO YOUR PLAYERS.”

In response, an official from Comets said the club has always honoured its commitments to players. The club also said when money is available players will be paid immediately. In an interview with Newsday yesterday, Emrit said, “I am very disturbed by the way they (Comets) are handling the situation. We expect a lot more from the executive. I have been contacting the president for almost two weeks now and he hasn’t even had the courtesy to acknowledge my messages.”

Emrit, who said the team was paid immediately following last season, is concerned the young cricketers will be demotivated. “It’s not like before where players play for free. There are a lot of young players who earn a living by playing club cricket. This makes it even worse when things like this happen.”

Central Sports president Richard Ramkissoon said his club has given players a compensation package for last season. “My club operates a little differently and we were able to meet our commitment to the players even though things are difficult in these hard times. Clubs are struggling financially and the economic climate is affecting a lot of clubs.” Newsday spoke with other clubs (that did not want to be named) in the premiership. Two clubs said their players have not been paid for last season, while two other clubs have paid their players. Another club said it pays players per match and was able to pay their players for all matches except for two matches because money ran out.