Dinas: Viv entitled to opinion

DINANATH RAMNARINE, president of the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) said yesterday he won’t be distracted by personal attacks and vowed to continue working diligently on behalf of his membership. The Trinidadian was responding to criticism levelled at him by former West Indies captain Sir Vivian Richards who described Ramnarine as “one of the laziest individuals you could find — more of a taker than a giver.” Sir Viv was obviously peeved at a report in London’s The Independent newspaper in which Ramnarine said the Caribbean Test cricketers have been harshly criticised by the selectors this season. Maintaining yesterday he did not want to get into a war of words with the former chairman of the selectors, Ramnarine emphasised that he was obliged as president of WIPA to take up the cause of the regional cricketers who complained to him.

“No less than six players have sought the intervention of WIPA because of what they termed the dictatorial, intimidatory and spiteful action of the selectors,” said the former Test leg-spin and googly bowler. Ramnarine said based on the allegations made by the players, comprising more than half the team, he was compelled to write to the West Indies Cricket Board last May calling for an immediate investigation and urging urgent action into the complaints. “I have even discussed the matter on the telephone with the president of the West Indies Cricket Board because it is a serious matter. I am convinced that no team can perform to its potential in an atmosphere where selectors operate like autocrats with players feeling that they are being victimised which creates discord in the camp,” said Ramnarine yesterday. Stressing that Sir Viv, second topscorer behind Brian Lara in Tests for the West Indies, is entitled to his opinion, Ramnarine believes that he is being singled out because of his courage to take up the issues facing the region’s cricketers.

“We can’t allow selectors to publicly humiliate players and to make threats against them because of their personal views. It is a totally unacceptable position and it is the duty of WIPA to have the situation rectified,” Ramnarine said. He said he was heartened by the decision of the West Indies Cricket Board last weekend to name an interim selection panel until September after Sir Viv resigned as chairman due to what he termed “uncertainty” about the post and a new WICB policy which left him out of overseas tours. Instead the Antiguan has taken up a commentary job with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). The members of the interim selection committee are Michael “Joey” Carew, chairman; Gordon Greenidge and Clyde Butts. Ramnarine, who surprisingly resigned from international cricket last year after his failure to establish himself as a permanent member of the regional team, described a selectors’ job as “sacred and based on fairplay and trust.”

“And if a selector does not perform his job in accordance with these ideals, we at WIPA are entitled to vent the issues and demand action. If the West Indies Cricket Board is reluctant to act, then let the people decide,” said Ramnarine. The WIPA president, who last year established the first permanent office of the organisation in Port-of-Spain, said the issue was not about Sir Viv but about injustices meted out to players for many years but which have gone unnoticed. “We maintain that the selection process is flawed. No one is accountable. When you ask Sir Viv about the team he criticises the players in language you can’t understand. Then the coach, Gus Logie, tells you he is not a selector. And captain Lara insists he is not getting the players he wants,” said Ramnarine. “Someone must be held accountable. You can’t just pick a team on emotion. Our fight has nothing to do with the composition of the team but the process,” Ramnarine insisted.