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Interesting days ahead
published: Sunday | August 19, 2007
Tony Becca, Contributor
West Indies cricket is suffering on and off the field, and one of the reasons for that is the constant fighting between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). In a bid to stop the fighting and get the two sides working together, Julian Hunte, the new president of the board, has offered the proverbial olive branch.
In one of his first moves since taking over a couple weeks or so ago, Hunte, the diplomat, invited Dinanath Ramnarine, president of WIPA, to join the board as a non-voting member - and not surprisingly, the former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies right-arm leg-spinner accepted.
On the surface, that seems a good move by Hunte and he has said that he has to wait and see how things will develop, especially so as Ramnarine - the man who calls all the shots on behalf of the players - has said that he is pleased with the appointment; that he has been talking with Hunte; that he is pleased with what he is hearing from the president; and that, as usual, all he wants is the best for the players, nothing more, nothing less.
Operating like a trade union
At the time when Hunte made his move, I also thought it was a good one. I thought so for the simple reason that, for any fight to stop, one man has to be in such a position that he can fight no more - either that or one man had to swallow his pride and make a move for peace.
With the board being the leaders of West Indies cricket - the body elected to run cricket, to foster its development, and to protect it - I felt that it was its responsibility to make the first move towards ending the war.
After thinking about it for some two weeks now, however, I am not so sure, and I am not so sure simply because, whether it is registered as one or not, the players' association operates like a trade union. In other words one appreciates that it must defend the interest of the players, the players' association does not operate like an affiliate of the board who share a common vision for West Indies cricket.
Based on its history, its recent history, its history since the coming of Ramnarine, WIPA, which seems to represent only the Test players in the region, seems to view the board as its enemy. In response to that, the board now seems to regard WIPA and - before the coming of Hunte, after the departure of Wes Hall - also its president as the enemies of the board and West Indies cricket.
That is trade union style, or almost trade union style, and one wonders what purpose Ramnarine will serve sitting in meetings with the other board members.
First of all, as a board member, Ramnarine - the man who leads negotiations on behalf of the players; the man who defends the players on matters of discipline - will be privy to every and any discussion by the board, he will know every little detail of why the board did this or did not do that, and he will be armed, fully armed, when sitting across the table from the board reps to negotiate for his players and to defend them.
While it is possible that the board president could ask Ramnarine to leave the meeting during any discussion which relates to the players, that could be uncomfortable - and it could be for the simple reason that he is a member of the board, and that he was invited to be one by the presidents of the board.
Serving two masters
When it comes to peace in West Indies cricket, does it matter that Ramnarine, president of WIPA, is a member of the board?
Maybe, it does not matter. Maybe, Ramnarine, the president and board members are big enough and love West Indies cricket enough to make it work. Only time will tell.
However, apart from those who believe that the board president invited the players' association president to become a board member in order to shut him up or tie his hands, there are those who believe that what the WICB president has really done is to put WIPA president in a position where he will have more ammunition to attack the board and to keep its members and West Indies cricket pinned down.
Although the odds are against it, every West Indian, every cricket fans in the West Indies and around the world, is hoping that it works. That in the interest of West Indies cricket, Ramnarine - who as one who played the game, as a former member of the West Indies team - will be able to serve two masters.
published: Sunday | August 19, 2007
Tony Becca, Contributor
West Indies cricket is suffering on and off the field, and one of the reasons for that is the constant fighting between the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA). In a bid to stop the fighting and get the two sides working together, Julian Hunte, the new president of the board, has offered the proverbial olive branch.
In one of his first moves since taking over a couple weeks or so ago, Hunte, the diplomat, invited Dinanath Ramnarine, president of WIPA, to join the board as a non-voting member - and not surprisingly, the former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies right-arm leg-spinner accepted.
On the surface, that seems a good move by Hunte and he has said that he has to wait and see how things will develop, especially so as Ramnarine - the man who calls all the shots on behalf of the players - has said that he is pleased with the appointment; that he has been talking with Hunte; that he is pleased with what he is hearing from the president; and that, as usual, all he wants is the best for the players, nothing more, nothing less.
Operating like a trade union
At the time when Hunte made his move, I also thought it was a good one. I thought so for the simple reason that, for any fight to stop, one man has to be in such a position that he can fight no more - either that or one man had to swallow his pride and make a move for peace.
With the board being the leaders of West Indies cricket - the body elected to run cricket, to foster its development, and to protect it - I felt that it was its responsibility to make the first move towards ending the war.
After thinking about it for some two weeks now, however, I am not so sure, and I am not so sure simply because, whether it is registered as one or not, the players' association operates like a trade union. In other words one appreciates that it must defend the interest of the players, the players' association does not operate like an affiliate of the board who share a common vision for West Indies cricket.
Based on its history, its recent history, its history since the coming of Ramnarine, WIPA, which seems to represent only the Test players in the region, seems to view the board as its enemy. In response to that, the board now seems to regard WIPA and - before the coming of Hunte, after the departure of Wes Hall - also its president as the enemies of the board and West Indies cricket.
That is trade union style, or almost trade union style, and one wonders what purpose Ramnarine will serve sitting in meetings with the other board members.
First of all, as a board member, Ramnarine - the man who leads negotiations on behalf of the players; the man who defends the players on matters of discipline - will be privy to every and any discussion by the board, he will know every little detail of why the board did this or did not do that, and he will be armed, fully armed, when sitting across the table from the board reps to negotiate for his players and to defend them.
While it is possible that the board president could ask Ramnarine to leave the meeting during any discussion which relates to the players, that could be uncomfortable - and it could be for the simple reason that he is a member of the board, and that he was invited to be one by the presidents of the board.
Serving two masters
When it comes to peace in West Indies cricket, does it matter that Ramnarine, president of WIPA, is a member of the board?
Maybe, it does not matter. Maybe, Ramnarine, the president and board members are big enough and love West Indies cricket enough to make it work. Only time will tell.
However, apart from those who believe that the board president invited the players' association president to become a board member in order to shut him up or tie his hands, there are those who believe that what the WICB president has really done is to put WIPA president in a position where he will have more ammunition to attack the board and to keep its members and West Indies cricket pinned down.
Although the odds are against it, every West Indian, every cricket fans in the West Indies and around the world, is hoping that it works. That in the interest of West Indies cricket, Ramnarine - who as one who played the game, as a former member of the West Indies team - will be able to serve two masters.
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