WICB approves foundation of retired players

The West Indies Cricket Board finalised a three-year plan to increase retainer fees for women's players and also approved the membership of the West Indies Retired Players Foundation (WIRPF). The decisions were taken at the WICB's board meeting held in Guyana on July 13.

The WICB plans to increase retainer fees for women players by 100% over the next three years, starting with a 40% increase in 2013-14, followed by a 30% hike over the next two years. The board also approved a recommendation that makes it mandatory for all territories to establish women's cricket leagues a year before they participate in regional tournaments.

The WIRPF, a joint initiative between the WICB and the West Indies Players Association (WIPA), seeks to involve former players to help the game at the regional level. Former West Indies players, Wavell Hinds and Nixon McLean will represent WIPA in the foundation along with WICB-appointed members, Delano Franklyn and Nigel Camacho. The foundation will be headed by Brian George, president and CEO of Supreme Ventures Ltd, Jamaica.

Hinds, who is also the president of the WIPA, said that the creation of the foundation was an important moment in West Indies cricket.

"Michael Hall (the CEO) and I, along with the other members of WIPA's new executive are very excited about the formation of the WIRPF," Hinds said. "It's not just for the direct benefits it brings to those who have served the game and the region, but also because it represents another collaborative effort between the WICB and WIPA."

"The skills and services of our retired players have not been utilised in a manner befitting their stature and the situation needed to be improved," WICB president Whycliffe Cameron said. "Our former players have international reputations for success and achievement and we must now, in a formal and structured way, undertake the necessary work to utilize their expertise to help to improve and redevelop West Indies Cricket."