WIPA to Implement Term Limits

The West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) plans to amend its constitution to implement strict term limits for its leadership, according to president and CEO Dinanath Ramnarine.

During a speech at the second annual WIPA awards in Jamaica, Ramnarine said one of the proposed amendments is for the president or chairman of the association's board to be limited to two successive terms. "[The president/chairman] can only serve two 3-year terms after which he or she will have to make way for another President or Chairman. While an ex-President can return, it will not be for more than two consecutive terms."

He said WIPA also plans to expand the composition of the executive "to make it more representative of the game and its supporters."

"Our new management group, our starting eleven, will comprise 6 cricketers elected by the players and 5 nominated members that would include people of different professional backgrounds. The only stipulation is that they must love this sport and be prepared to help voluntarily. Already there are many such people, including private sector managers and sponsors," Ramnarine said.

The five nominated WIPA Board of Directors would include a representative from CARICOM and the President of the Official West Players Fan Club (WIPFC), an initiative that WIPA will launch later this year.

"The President of the fan club will automatically be a Director of WIPA. We believe this will give the fans a greater say in the running of cricket, something that is totally unprecedented."

EXCERPTS FROM RAMNARINE SPEECH:

* On other upcoming initiatives...

WIPA will also be launching our ?WIPA In The Community Project?. We believe that the time is right to go into the communities and promote the game. Instead of waiting for cricketers to come to us we will now be going to the cricketers. We strongly support sports, especially cricket, as a means of keeping our young people away from drugs and crime. Cricket, with its traditions of team play and pursuit of excellence, will help to keep them off the street and out of drugs and crime.

This community service initiative will also give our former and current greats a chance to earn some money since they will be compensated for going into the communities and reaching out to those who might have the ability but not enough opportunity. We are already finding considerable support from governments and the private sector for this.

WIPA is also continuing to pursue our educational programmes for players. To date over 50 players from the under-19 and WI senior teams have benefited. One of WIPA?s objectives is to have a library, museum and audio visual room. Plans are being put in place to achieve this goal.

* On improving relations with the WICB...

The one area which continues to be a major cause of concern for us, and perhaps the most important of all, is our relationship with the West Indies Cricket Board. We intend to have a better working relationship with the WICB and have proposed quarterly meetings with members of the WICB Board, and not only the employees of the WICB who we meet during negotiations.

WIPA is in its second year of a 3 year strategic plan and one of our main goals is to improve our relationship with the WICB. They themselves are in the process of doing a strategic plan so we have proposed to them that this may be a good starting point where we can share our ideas and discuss maturely how we can assist one another in accomplishing our goals.

Our starting point, and I stress and re-emphasise this, is that the players are the heart and soul of the game. They are its centre and circumference.

WIPA, the Board, the politicians, and the sponsors, especially the sponsors, are all there to facilitate the game and its players, and to provide an environment for success, one that is sustainable and one that is supportive.

* On Ravi Rampaul and player rights...

[Let] me make it perfectly clear to all, that as the Honourable Justice Saunders said, and I quote again, we support ?the right of a contracted player to endorse goods and products in some capacity otherwise than as a member of the West Indies cricket team. He may do so for example in his capacity as a member of a national team or in his individual capacity.?

I want you to look at one particular case in this context. Ravi Rampaul is one of our most promising fast bowlers. He is, when fit and well, a genuine fast bowler. He is now suffering from shin splints and were it not for the present contract that he has with a sponsor, he would be in serious financial trouble. I think we have to be fair and to be practical. A player is considered old at 36, and has a very limited time in which to earn enough money to take him into what is a prolonged retirement. Some get jobs but many do not. When they are making runs and taking wickets, when they are superb is when they have to capitalise on their talents. We should not stop that.

Those people with big jobs who retire at 60 or 65 and then take on new jobs with lots of power and money should not begrudge the player the opportunity to earn some additional income. In fact, they should go out of their way to help and to ensure financial security for the players. Things like endorsements and retainer contracts should be part of the strategy of the organisations that control the game and should be expedited instead of delayed.

My friends, if WIPA has sinned it is because of our passionate commitment to our members. If you believe that we have stepped over the line, it is because we feel their pain and live their needs. This is why we have launched a Benevolent Fund for cricketers who have fallen on hard times. This will also assist player?s education, welfare and development from under 15 to everyone who has represented their country.

* On transparency and sponsors ...

I believe strongly that we are part of the solution and our players are all committed to that goal. I don?t think that we are helped, and in fact I believe that our cause is hurt, by leaks that are totally false, or comparisons regarding the earning capacity of selected players when the majority of those who play cricket do so for what amounts to less than the minimum wage in some countries.

Those who are responsible for administering the game should not deliberately undermine the game and its players. WIPA is the most transparent of organisations. That is why we can attract sponsors who demand nothing more than to help the game. We can do without sponsors whose only determination is to help themselves at the expense of the game, and we can do with greater transparency from those who administer the game. ?Nuff said.

Perhaps we need to look down the line to see whether we need a new organisation for administering the game, one that includes the players, the administrators, the politicians, the private sector sponsors and the fans.

Maybe this might be the best means of ensuring that we play the game on the fields instead of via leaks and courtrooms.