Wavell Hinds’ leadership of the West Indies Players Association has been given a resounding stamp of approval.
Hinds, a former Jamaica and West Indies opening batsman, was re-elected unopposed at WIPA’s annual general meeting last night in Kingston. The board of directors for the 2015 to 2017 term was also elected. Hinds’ tenure in charge of WIPA has seen an improvement in the relationship with the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), previously marked by frequent contention under former WIPA boss Dinanath Ramnarine.
Hinds’ re-election comes five months after then West Indies One-Day-International captain, Dwayne Bravo, called for him to be removed as WIPA boss. Bravo, who led the West Indies players’ abandonment of the tour to India last October, accused Hinds of hoodwinking them with respect to the Collective Bargaining Agreement/Memorandum of Understanding, signed by WIPA and the WICB in mid-September.
Bravo stated then that the players were unaware of the terms of the agreement and charged that the new agreement reduced their income and that their Test, ODI and Twenty20 fees had been decreased by as much as 75 percent, inclusive of the removal of a BDS$70,000 payment for their intellectual property rights. But Hinds asserted then that those monies had been replaced by an increase in retainer and match fees, ranging from between 15 and 25 per cent, and that Bravo was aware of this. Hinds indicated then that WIPA’s agreement with the WIBC was designed to include a further 90 regional players in their contractual arrangements.
Speaking to Barbados TODAY on Hinds re-election, senior Barbados cricket official Conde Riley said Hinds had sought to improve the lot of more cricketers outside those playing at the international level. He said regional cricket was not only about those who made the West Indies side.
“He obviously has the support of the majority of regional cricketers and in any democracy the majority vote holds sway. Hinds has overseen a situation where about one hundred cricketers will benefit from contracts and this can only be seen as a good thing,” Riley said.
Quizzed as to whether Hinds’ re-election was a positive portent for WICB president, Dave Cameron, who will also be seeking re-election next month, and who received much public criticism for his role in the abandonment of the India tour, Riley said Cameron’s situation was somewhat different to Hinds’. He noted that while Hinds might have had a possible support base of over 100 cricketers, there were only twelve votes to determine Cameron’s fate and it appeared to be a tie at present. He noted Cameron also seemed to have issues in his native Jamaica with the cricket board there. The Jamaica Cricket Association is reportedly supporting Cameron’s challenger, Barbados Cricket Association president, Joel Garner.
Among those also elected to serve the new term of office is former West Indies pacer Nixon McLean who was on the previous executive as honorary treasurer but is now the new vice-president.
Jamaican Wayne Lewis retained his position as honorary secretary while the new honorary treasurer is former West Indies captain and wicketkeeper Ridley Jacobs. Windward Islands Volcanoes captain Liam Sebastien was elected as the assistant honorary secretary.
Following his call for Hinds’ removal as WIPA boss, Bravo was dumped as ODI captain.
