MELBOURNE, Oct 5: West Indies will send a full-strength side to Australia for their cricket tour after their leading players reached an agreement to settle their long-standing contract dispute.

The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and West Indies Players Association (WIPA) have been at loggerheads over a sponsorship deal between Irish telecommunications company Digicel, which conflicts with some of the player’s personal endorsement contracts.

The players have now agreed to sign contracts for the Australia tour subject to negotiations, which are being conducted by the International Cricket Council (ICC) and WIPA, the board said in a statement on their official web site.

When agreed, a special clause will be inserted into the contracts and be binding for both parties.

The agreement between the WICB and WIPA ensures there will be no repeat of the team’s tour to Sri Lanka in July and August, when 10 top players refused to sign contracts and were not selected.

Sri Lanka won the Test series 2-0, while an under-strength West Indies won just one of four One-day Internationals in the triangular tournament with the hosts and India.

West Indies play three Tests in Australia, beginning in Brisbane on Nov 3.—Reuters