WICB wants disruptive Ramnarine gone, astute Wavell Hinds in
A source close to the WICB has said that the decision by the WICB to cease engaging with WIPA President and CEO Dinanath Ramnarine is a critical step towards ensuring stability in West Indies cricket.“While the board, in its announcement included the caveat “unless there is a change in his (Ramnarine’s) behaviour and conduct” the WICB is firm that it will no longer engage Ramnarine and has left the ball in the court of the players,” the source said.
“The players now have to decide whether they want to jeopardize their entire futures and fight for Ramnarine or act in their best interest and nominate other executives to represent them in all outstanding matters,” the source revealed.
The WICB today announced that it will no longer engage Ramnarine but will continue to engage WIPA on all matters pertaining to West Indian players.
“Given Mr. Dinanath Ramnarine’s threatening action towards the WICB Chief Executive Officer (Ernest Hilaire) and the unprofessional conduct of Mr. Ramnarine during a recent meeting on June 14 2011 (with Chris Gayle), the Board will no longer engage with Mr. Ramnarine on any issue unless there is a change in his behaviour and conduct,” the board said in a released statement.
The source also said that the WICB is keen on working with WIPA Vice President Wavell Hinds and other executives and directors of WIPA.
“He is someone who the board sees as astute, reasonable and who wants to end the instability and work towards realising solutions,” the source added.
“The board has had some interactions with Wavell in recent months and he has impressed both the management and the directors that he is someone who truly has West Indies cricket at heart and who wants to bring an end to the acrimony,” the source added.
“After years of a certain pattern of behaviour by Ramnarine and several WICB Presidents and CEOs, the board has grown fed up of Ramnarine’s modus operandi of always wanting confrontation and acrimony for the sole purpose of making himself relevant to the players,” the source said.
“They have now taken a stand that since Ramnarine is the only common factor during all these years of acrimony the time has come for him to be removed from the equation so that an attempt can be made to bring peace,” the source said.
The source said that WICB is also keen on working with new WIPA director Michael Hall, a former officer of the WICB along with WIPA executive member Darren Ganga.
The board understands that the majority of players have lost confidence in Ramnarine's leadership. This was demonstrated in the poor turnout to the last WIPA AGM in Jamaica in October when less than 20 players attended even though over 140 players were present in Jamaica. The board believes the players want an avenue to excommunicate Ramnarine from representing them but do not know how to go about it given the style of Ramnarine's leadership and his stranglehold on WIPA.