'It takes two hands to clap'

President of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) Dinanath Ramnarine has chided WICB boss Ken Gordon for ignoring the substance of his criticisms of CEO Bruce Aanensen.

In a letter to Gordon, Ramnarine called on the WICB to respond specifically to the charges about Aanensen's negative management style and explain why none of the accusations had any merit.

FULL TEXT OF LETTER:

Dear Mr. Gordon,

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of July 16, 2007 and comment as follows.

Naturally I accept that you would have discussed the charges against Mr. Aanensen contained in my letter of July 12, 2007 with him and appreciate that in his own interest he would have defended his position as most people would do. However, I am surprised that based solely on his explanations you would conclude that NONE of my accusations had any merit and that there was no justification to any of my charges.

I am particularly disappointed that you did not consider it appropriate to respond specifically to the charges so that we would be in a position to better understand why they "held no water" and why your conclusion was justified.

I would simply make the point that as a responsible representative of the players, I would not have committed my criticisms to paper without being able to substantiate them. I stand willing to give you my side of the story and expect from you a written response to the issues raised in my July 12th letter.

It is a matter of much concern to us that the manner in which the Chris Gayle matter was handled by you was so different when compared to your handling of these complaints by WIPA involving comments and accusations attributed to the WICB CEO.

Like you, I agree that both WICB and WIPA should enjoy a positive working relationship but it takes “two hands to clap” and we must remember that while WICB has been in existence for decades, WIPA has had to “fight” for recognition from an organization not accustomed to being challenged or questioned. We at WIPA are not averse to criticism. Indeed, as an evolving organization we welcome any inputs from different quarters that would help us to become a more vibrant body. However, I find it strange that only at the virtual expiration of your Presidency you would indicate to me shortcomings as you perceived them.

Lastly, I have noted the contents of your letter and accept the spirit in which it was written. I am pleased to agree to your offer to arrange a meeting with Mr. Aanensen and yourself. May I suggest that we also invite the President - Designate of the WICB to participate in this meeting?

I look forward to the suggested time, date and location for the proposed meeting.

Yours sincerely,
Dinanath Ramnarine