Nixon Mc Lean elected to WIPA’s executive

Former St Vincent and the Grenadines, Windwards and West Indies fast bowler Nixon Mc Lean was elected unopposed as treasurer of the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA).{{more}}

The election took place at WIPA’s annual meeting on January 5 in Trinidad.

Mc Lean is the current senior St Vincent and the Grenadines men and women’s team coach.

He played 19 test matches for the West Indies from 1998 to 2001, taking 45 wickets at a cost of 42.56 apiece.

He also appeared in 45 One Day Internationals, claiming 46 wickets at 37.58 each.

Mc Lean, who plays in the local cricket competition for Spartans, has represented Canterbury of New Zealand, Hampshire and Somerset in England and KwaZulu-Natal in South Africa.

Joining Mc Lean as another new member is another former West Indies fast bowler, Barbadian Patterson Thompson, who will serve as vice president.

Also new on the five-member executive is former opening batsman, Jamaican Wayne Lewis, who will serve as secretary.

Meanwhile, Wavell Hinds, a former Jamaica and West Indies opening batsman who was interim president for nine months last year, was installed for a full term.

Hinds, a member of WIPA’s executive since 2002, replaced the incumbent Dinanath Ramnarine who stepped down last year.

The other member of the executive is current Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies T-20 leg spinner Samuel Badree, who returns as assistant secretary.

Reports say issues surrounding retainer contracts, improved fees for first-class cricketers, and negotiations with Verus International and the WICB regarding the proposed Caribbean Premier League (CPL) will be high on WIPA’s agenda.

In recent times, WIPA and the West Indies Cricket Board have had an acrimonious relationship, which has affected the regional game.

At present, there are several outstanding legal matters, which would affect the players, including the WICB’s attempt to terminate the Collective Bargaining Agreement, for which a decision is expected in a month’s time.

WIPA was established in 1973 and formally incorporated in Trinidad and Tobago in 2003. The initial president was Rohan Kanhai and the initial secretary was former Trinidad and Tobago and West Indies wicketkeeper Deryck Murray. (RT)