Haynes takes over as secretary of players association

Desmond Haynes, the former West Indies opener, is set to take over as the secretary of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA). The appointment took effect from March 1, and he will replace Roland Holder, who has acquired a new job with the Barbados team.

Haynes currently serves as the chairman of the National Sports Council in Barbados, and has always been closely connected to WIPA. Dinanath Ramnarine, the WIPA president, was quoted on Caribbeannenews.com as saying, "Mr Haynes's appointment adds many dimensions to the Players Association and reflects the organisation's vision of including cricketers present and past in an active role. His appointment is in keeping with the restructuring of the organisation to meet the many objectives of WIPA's mission."

Incidentally, Haynes was the last player to take legal action against the West Indies Cricket Board, with a right-to-work lawsuit, when he challenged the Board's eligibility rules.

Holder, who had held the position since 1996 resigned in December, complaining that he had been marginalised over vital decisions. WIPA contended that his resignation was only down to his new job as the Barbados team manager and executive of the Barbados Cricket Association.

One of the most prolific runscorers during the 80s, Haynes amassed 7487 runs at 42 with 18 hundreds from 116 Tests.