The majority of Bermuda?s national cricket team have sought legal representation to help resolve an ongoing contract dispute between themselves and their employers, Bermuda Cricket Board (BCB).

Sources confirmed yesterday that seven players have retained the legal services of Trott and Duncan while another four have sought legal representation from the law firm of Edward P. Bailey and Associates, strongly suggesting the dispute is far from being resolved ? with the World Cup now only five months away .

?I can confirm that certain players from the national cricket squad have engaged our legal services to review the proposed contract between themselves and the BCB.

?And we are in the process of taking full instructions from our clients,? read a written statement forwarded to on behalf of one of the two law firms.

Nearly a month has passed since national team players rejected the Board?s initial draft on a new short-term contract, and their boycott of a training session at the National Sports Centre.

It is the second time this year the Board and their top players have been at odds over contractual issues.

Only last weekend, Board executives met to try and resolve the issue. And BCB first vice-president Gary Fray said he and his fellow executives had agreed to the majority of the players? demands.

Fray said yesterday: ?I went home on Saturday relieved because basically the players got what they wanted. And I am sure when all of the executives left that meeting on Saturday they too were satisfied that we had done the best for the Board, as well as the national team.

?We basically accepted and gave them everything they proposed, so what?s the gripe?

?After the executive met on Saturday, we were all sort of relieved and satisfied that we had done the best we could and had come very close to what the players had requested . . . not where it warranted the step that they have now taken.

?Most of us, if not all of the executives were satisfied by what transpired during that meeting on Saturday morning.?

It was also during Saturday?s meeting that Board executives themselves decided upon a new proposal that was to be presented to the players in due course.

Fray accused those cricketers who had sought legal advice of ?putting the horse before the cart?.

?It?s a shame that this has gone this far because the players were aware that we were going to meet last Saturday,? he added.

?We (Board) are not hiding anything and whatever monies is due to them they will get it.

?The Board is planning on giving the press a statement in the near future.

?But in this instance I think the cart is before the horse, and I am very shocked to hear this because I was so sure this thing was behind us after we had met on Saturday.

?First thing we said (on Saturday) was ?let?s resolve this thing today? . . . which we thought we had done because the World Cup is now almost on top of us and we have more important things to do.?

Fray insisted the players should have at least waited until the outcome of last weekend?s discussions before taking any legal action.

?They should have waited because once they see the proposal, then that legal representation might not even exist,? he added.

When contacted yesterday, BCB president Reggie Pearman stated: ?The executive met and we are drawing up proposals to put to the players.

?And that?s exactly where the matter now stands.?