Ramnarine resigns as WIPA chief

Dinanath Ramnarine has resigned as president and chief executive of the West Indies Players' Association (WIPA) effective March 31 and Wavell Hinds, who is presently the treasurer, will succeed him as president until the Annual General Meeting this year.

WIPA secretary Andrew Richardson said the announcement was not a surprise as Ramnarine, who held office for ten years, had advocated a change to refresh the organisation with new leadership. "We wish to recognise that he [Ramnarine] has served meritoriously over those ten years", Richardson said on the WIPA website.

Hinds called it a "depressing day" for West Indies cricket. "We were well advised that this day will come but hoped it would never materialise," Hinds said. "We are all saddened by his decision, given his outstanding contribution and great personal sacrifice to WIPA."

In the interim, Michael Hall will act as the chief executive while Ramnarine agreed to assist as an advisor during the period of transition.

Ramnarine became WIPA president in 2002 and aggressively represented the interests of the players in negotiations with WICB. In 2004, he was offered the position of chief executive after successfully negotiating increased sponsorship payments for players in the 2003 World Cup and securing compensation for players injured during the period of 1999-2003.

Since then, Ramnarine negotiated a substantial increase in retainer contracts and first-class fees that benefitted international as well as domestic West Indian players. Under his leadership, WIPA adopted a new constitution, which brought it in line with the guidelines and modern practices of similar cricket associations.