West Indies players told to agree contracts or miss World Twenty20

West Indies players will be thrown out of the World Twenty20 squad if they do not agree to financial terms by Sunday's deadline.

The hard-line stance from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) follows reports that the 15-man squad, upset at a huge pay cut, has rejected the contract offered by the WICB.

Cricinfo.com published a letter from Darren Sammy to the WICB on Tuesday in which the West Indies captain said the financial terms for the World Twenty20, which starts in India on March 8, were unacceptable.

But WICB chief executive Michael Muirhead told Jamaican radio station Hitz 92fm: "The WICB is committed to play in the tournament, let me say that first," .

"No one will leave the shores of the West Indies without signing a contract and if these players in particular choose not to sign, then I guess we'll be left with no option but to substitute other players for them."

Muirhead added that the board was not in a position to improve their offer to the players, which was negotiated with the players association nine months ago.

"They have had lots of time to digest and argue and do everything," he said.

"Five of the players were instrumental and were there at the onset, so at this point, I'm hoping that the players will sign and take advantage of the other benefits that are there."

West Indies won the 2012 World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka and are currently ranked second in the world.

Sammy, who requested an urgent meeting before Sunday's deadline, said players were facing a pay cut of nearly 80 per cent.

The latest impasse between WICB and the players comes some 18 months after the premature end of West Indies' tour of India because of a longstanding payment dispute.