Max60 Caribbean plunges into chaos over allegations of unpaid salaries

A T10 tournament in the Cayman Islands featuring David Warner, Shakib Al Hasan, Alex Hales and Carlos Brathwaite has been plunged into uncertainty with fixtures unfulfilled over allegations of unpaid salaries.

The Max60 Caribbean event was launched last year, but its second season has been blighted by off-field issues.

ESPNcricinfo has learned that five fixtures on Tuesday were cancelled after strike action from players, the majority of whom had not received a payment that was due to be cleared 30 days before the start of the tournament.

On Tuesday evening, Max60 posted on Instagram that all games had been cancelled “due to off-field issues” and announced that the final would take place on Thursday at 2pm local time between Caribbean Tigers and Vegas Vikings, who were first and third respectively in the league table.

This post was later deleted and on Wednesday morning, the fixture was replaced by a “runner-up playoff” between Grand Cayman Falcons (who finished fifth) and Vegas Vikings, followed by a trophy presentation.

Players have been supported in their strike action by the World Cricketers’ Association (WCA), which said that the non-payment issues were the latest example of contracts being treated like “worthless pieces of paper”.

“It’s disappointing to hear that players still haven’t been paid what they’re owed under their contracts,” Tom Moffat, the WCA’s chief executive, said.

“Players have fulfilled their commitments in good faith the whole way along, but it’s unreasonable for anyone to expect them to continue to turn up and put on the show if the terms of their contracts have flagrantly been breached.

“This isn’t an isolated or new issue. It’s another example of an officially sanctioned cricket event treating player contracts like worthless pieces of paper, and of the lack of protections for players who compete in events that have been sanctioned by the ICC or its members.

“There are simple solutions to these issues and the game’s global leadership and regulations should protect the whole sport, and people within it.”

Max60 is run by BMP Sports, a Dubai-based company which claims to be a “global market leader in cricket league ownership, sponsorships, franchising and more” on its website. It is affiliated with the Braves franchise, which has featured in T10 leagues in Abu Dhabi, Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka.

BMP Sports and Max60 were both contacted for comment but did not respond at the time of the publication of this report. (ESPNcricinfo)