WICB president Pat Rousseau was expected in London today to meet with the players who are rallying in support of sacked captain Brian Lara and vice-captain Carl Hooper.
As Rousseau was leaving the region after a stopover in Barbados, the board issued a statement saying it was looking forward to reconciliation.
Just about everybody else expects the matter to be over shortly. In Grenada, Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell said both sides had made reasonable compromises.
``I find it difficult to see how a resolution cannot be reached now,'' Mitchell told CANA.
South African cricket chief Ali Bacher was just as confident that Brian Lara and Carl Hooper would be reinstated.
Bacher talked by telephone with Rousseau for an hour yesterday and said he was sure the dispute would be cleared up.
``While I cannot disclose what Mr. Rousseau told me, I'm certain in my own mind that all problems will be resolved,'' Bacher said.
Bacher, West Indies tour manager Clive Lloyd, and WICB member Joel Garner arrived in London on Friday and have held two days of informal - and so far - unfruitful talks with the players.
West Indian management and striking players are camped in neighbouring hotels near London's Heathrow Airport but the parties are apparently content not to meet formally in the absence of Rousseau.
``The president coming is good news,'' said Courtney Walsh, head of the players' association. ``We're looking forward to it.
``It's not just about money, it's general conditions and everything.''
Middle-order batsman Jimmy Adams said he was confident the tour would go ahead.
``We will go to South Africa,'' he said. ``Obviously this is not an ideal way to prepare. We know what it means to the people in the townships for us to be there.''
Lloyd said the players deserved to be well paid, but said negotiations should have been completed before the tour started.
``I don't know what their beef is,'' he said.
The WICB said it finally knew the score on Friday night when WIPA specifically documented a ``wide range of other issues of concern to the players, many unrelated to South Africa''.
``These also include issues relating to fees for the South Africa tour which WIPA have repeatedly said are not a concern.''
If money is still a major problem, then a solution is on offer. Former South African wicketkeeper Dave Richardson said a sponsor had been found who could assist the West Indies board and the players to solve their differences.
The strike was sparked on Wednesday when the WICB fired Lara and Hooper after they refused to travel to South Africa.
The tour is scheduled to start with a One-Day charity match at Johannesburg on Tuesday, but that now seems unlikely. The first Test is due to start on November 26.