Striking West Indies cricketers have agreed to make themselves available for the national team after an arbitrator was appointed to mediate their bitter dispute with the national board. The original 13-man squad chosen for the two-Test home series against Bangladesh boycotted the series and watched their replacements lose both, allowing Bangladesh on Monday to clinch its first overseas series victory. Former Commonwealth secretary general Shridath Ramphal was appointed as arbitrator by the Caribbean trade bloc on Tuesday after trade bloc chairman and Guyana President Bharrat Jagdeo persuaded the West Indies Players Association and West Indies Cricket Board to allow the regional body to mediate their dispute over pay, medical care and working conditions. Bangladesh Cricket Board said on Tuesday it had awarded a cash bonus of $214,000 to the national team which defeated West Indies Monday to clinch its first overseas Test series win. Bangladesh on Tuesday also announced that its captain Mashrafe Mortaza would miss the one-day matches following the injury to his right knee. All-rounder Shakib Al Hasan has been appointed skipper for the rest of the tour. The visitors have been boosted by the arrival of left-arm spinner Abdur Razzak, left-arm seamer Syed Rasel and all
