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Cape Town - The Cape Cobras will be without West Indian all-rounder Kieron Pollard for the T20 Challenge scheduled to start on Saturday, November 12.
The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) released a statement on Tuesday and sent out a warning to their players that they have decided on levying a 20% contract fee on any Caribbean player wishing to play in a T20 tournament held outside the country.
"While we do not wish to act in restraint of trade, we must seek a balance to ensure that there is fair and adequate compensation for the investment made in the players," read the WICB statement. "What WICB seeks is some compensation to recognise the investment made into players, an investment from which another Full Member is benefitting."
In the statement they also revealed that players needed "other boards' acceptance of that position", which will feature multiple Caribbean players in their domestic T20 tournaments.
The BCCI and Bangladesh Cricket Board have agreed, while Cricket South Africa has rejected the proposal and there is no word yet from the Pakistan Cricket Board or Cricket Australia.
According to the ESPNcricinfo website, Pollard was informed of the decision via email by WICB CEO Michael Muirhead last week Thursday (November 3).
Pollard told the News Day website that he was scheduled to fly to South Africa on Monday to meet up with the Cape Cobras in Johannesburg, but was refused a No Objection Certificate (NOC) by the WICB.
Pollard, who is surprisingly not contracted to the WICB, was dropped for the tri-nation series with Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, which will start on Monday, November 14.
The all-rounder signed a two-year contract with the Cobras in 2015.
The Cobras play their first match on Saturday, November 12 against the Knights at the Wanderers.
Play starts at 13:30.
