Selfish, unprofessional and immature.

That is what Philip Hackett, the Caribbean cricket commentator and sports journalist, thinks of the West Indies players who pulled out of last month’s tour to India over a protracted payment structure dispute involving themselves, the West Indies Cricket Board and the West Indies Players’ Association.

“This has scarred West Indies cricket,” Hackett, the former Purvis Primary School teacher, said, “and it will take a long time to remove that scar, even if the matter is resolved amicably.”

In September, the WICB and the WIPA signed a new collective bargaining agreement and memorandum of understanding. The WIPA had hoped that the agreement would bring stability to the system after years of bitter disputes between themselves and the WICB.

But, on the eve of West Indies’ first one-day international on a tour to India, Dwayne Bravo, the one-day captain, came out strongly against WIPA president Wavell Hinds, claiming that he had “hoodwinked” the team by signing an agreement that resulted in a significant pay cut for the players.

After an exchange of e-mails among the players, WIPA and the WICB, West Indies players abruptly pulled out of the tour of the subcontinent after the fourth ODI.

And this, Hackett said, is totally unacceptable.

“Those players who came from India, to a degree, are selfish, immature and lack professionalism,” he said.

“I can understand that any individual would want to get the best terms for themselves in terms of contracts. But I do not agree, on any level, of pulling out of the tour.

“I don’t think that there’s anything that can happen within West Indies cricket or the WIPA that should cause you to pull out of a tour of India or anywhere else.

The only reasonable excuse for that would have been if there was an issue that threatened their safety or something the host country had done that is not in their best interest. The argument was not with the host country, but they are punishing them as well and there’s no excuse for that as far as I am concerned.

“What has made West Indies cricket held up and ridiculed in front of the whole world is withdrawing from the tour and as far as that is concerned I think the 15 players on that tour are the ones who have to take the blame for that.”

Hackett, who commentated his first Test match at Kensington Oval in 1987, believes that the West Indies players involved in the dispute are concerned about money more than anything else.

“It’s purely a financial thing now and all about ‘I’ve done a job, let me get as much I can from it’ — that’s the mentality,” said Hackett, who is visiting the Island.

“Most of the players are just about making money for themselves.”

Hackett believes that the disgruntled players do not “fully understand” West Indies cricket and are not as “passionate” to represent the team.

“If you look at an Australian and the baggy green, wearing that cap means something to them,” he said. “Singing the national song, those things mean something to them but I’m sure that in the West Indies we would be able to instil that type of passion in most of our cricketers.

“Somewhere along the line the message didn’t get through, the understanding of where West Indies cricket has come from just hasn’t impacted on this generation of players.”