Walsh leaves under a cloud (18 December 1998)
COURTNEY WALSH and Gloucestershire have severed a 14-year partnership in acrimonious manner with the bowler saying he was "stabbed in the back" and the county accusing him of going back on a new two-year deal
18-Dec-1998
18 December 1998
Walsh leaves under a cloud
By Peter Deeley
COURTNEY WALSH and Gloucestershire have severed a 14-year
partnership in acrimonious manner with the bowler saying he was
"stabbed in the back" and the county accusing him of going back
on a new two-year deal.
Walsh, now 36, is presently in South Africa with West Indies and
said there: "After such loyal service I am bitterly disappointed
by the unprofessional approach shown by Gloucestershire."
But Colin Sexstone, the county club's chief executive, said that
Walsh had failed to give a written guarantee of availability for
the club if he was not picked to play for West Indies in next
year's World Cup, which runs in tandem with the County
Championship in May and June.
Sexstone said the county had made Walsh a "huge offer - 20 per
cent of the playing staff budget" when a new contract was being
negotiated at the end of last summer.
At that time, Walsh made it "absolutely clear" that he would be
retiring from international one-day cricket and that the World
Cup would not be an issue. But since then Walsh had demanded an
unconditional contract and had approached at least one other
county seeking a similar unfettered deal.
Mike Fatkin, Glamorgan's secretary, said Walsh had contacted them
some months ago. "We would have been interested then but with
Tony Cottey going to Sussex things have changed and we are now
looking for a batting all-rounder. Things are well advanced on
that front."
Walsh, the third highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, has taken
over 860 for Gloucestershire and finished with 106 last summer.
Sexstone said Gloucestershire were very upset that "such a great
servant should be leaving us in this way. We had hoped to make a
joint announcement but his agent pre-empted matters by putting
out a statement first which was misleading and factually
inaccurate.
"Courtney has only himself to blame for not securing his
contract. I think he will find it difficult to negotiate as good
a deal as we offered."
Source :: Electronic Telegraph (https://www.telegraph.co.uk)