Match organiser reneges on more than $120,000 in payments as FICA initiate legal proceedings against organisers Kat Rose Custom Designs Inc.

By Saj Sadiq (November 1, 2012)

Toronto, ON, Canada October 30, 2012 – With the assistance of the Federation of International Cricketers' Associations (FICA) a number of International cricketers have initiated legal proceedings against Kat Rose Custom Designs Inc.(Kat Rose), a promotions company incorporated in Ontario, Canada, following the failure of Kat Rose to pay 16 players for their participation in this year’s Cricket All Star T20 Match, held on May 12, 2012 in Toronto – an Event approved by Cricket Canada.

“We are incredibly disappointed and distressed by the lack of professionalism of the Kat Rose organization,” noted Tim May, chief executive officer, FICA. “The players fulfilled their contractual obligations and are now each left out-of-pocket to the tune of several thousand dollars of their own money. How can anyone in good conscience conduct business this way?”

Affected players who are taking this action against Kat Rose include Sanath Jayasariya, Saqlain Mushtaq, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Mark Boucher, Devon Smith, Tino Best and Zimbabwean captain Brendan Taylor.

Kat Rose contracted individually with all of the players to secure their attendance and participation in the Match, held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario. Additional events included a gala dinner, a practice, and a fan autograph session.

The Match was promoted as a friendly one between an all-star team of players from Asia and an all-star team of players from the rest of the world. The 16 affected players were drawn from faraway places such as Australia, Barbados, Bangladesh, Grenada, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom and Zimbabwe.

Kat Rose has yet to pay any of the players the monies contractually owed citing financial difficulties resulting from the last minute absence of some of the cricketers from Pakistan because of last minute Visa issues.

“It is unacceptable that the players have yet to be compensated and reimbursed for their time and costs,” concluded May.

The players are represented in the legal proceedings by Toronto employment lawyer Aaron Rousseau of Whitten & Lublin.

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