Players seek WICB help, say WIPA no longer their agent

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC) — The West Indies squad in India say they no longer want any part of a Wavell Hinds-led West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA), and has asked the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to “urgently” intervene in the impasse.

In a letter to WICB president Dave Cameron on Friday, the players once again expressed their lack of faith in Hinds’ leadership and reiterated their desire to return to the terms of the old Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA)/Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

The WICB yesterday confirmed to CMC Sports it had received the letter.

The players have accused Hinds, the WIPA president and chief executive, of misleading them as it relates to the terms of the newly signed CBA/MOU.

In a move that threatens to split the players union and derail an agreement Cameron recently described as “historic”, the Windies players said they had “collectively determined” not to accept any contracts stemming from the agreement and would also seek new representation shortly.

“The process that has been supposedly undertaken on our behalf is, in our view, a breach of trust, a clear lack of transparency and violation of our rights,” the players wrote.

“It would therefore be not only imprudent, but immoral to consider such representative action to be in any way appropriate or right.

“For the record, we wish to reiterate our position put forward to the WICB earlier through WIPA, which is, that we propose the continuation under the old structure until a new agreement is reached between the players and WICB.

“Neither the WICB nor the players would be disadvantaged by such a mutually agreed arrangement. We believe this to be a sensible and reasonable option in the interim, while we negotiate new terms and conditions that have been properly ventilated.”

In an earlier letter last week, the players had called on Hinds and the other members of WIPA top brass to resign, a call rejected by the former Jamaica and West Indies batsman.

However, the players reiterated their call for Hinds to go.

“It is our view, given the circumstances of the formulation and finalising of this agreement, the WIPA Board needs to do the right thing and resign. We wish to formally advise you that WIPA has no authority to speak on our behalf,” the players wrote.

“We also note that we finally got a response yesterday (Thursday) from Mr Hinds. However, his response leads us to pose more questions than the answers provided. There were many inaccuracies in Mr Hinds’ letter to which we will provide a detailed response in due course.

“We will advise you of the person or persons entrusted with the responsibility to act on our behalf shortly.”

The players are upset over what they have described as a significant reduction in their income under the new terms of the CBA/MOU, and threatened to withdraw their services for last Wednesday’s first One-Day International of the five-match series against India in Kochi.

They argued they were unaware of the new terms contained in the agreement and had no input in the negotiations undertaken by WIPA.

Hinds subsequently hit back, pointing out that the players’ representative and one-day captain Dwayne Bravo was present at the meeting where the new agreement was discussed, and had given his assent.

With no resolution in sight, the players have asked Cameron to step in.

“As you are aware, as an act of good faith and in the spirit of camaraderie that epitomises regional cricket, we conceded to go forward with the 1st One-Day Match in India with the expectation that we would resolve the critical matter of all our contractual terms,” the players said in the letter.

“Our decision to play in India was in no way intended to convey an acceptance by the players of the unreasonable terms and conditions put forward to us by WICB nor was it intended as an expression of our acceptance of the purported new Memorandum of Understanding.”

They added: “As you may be aware, we have demonstrated much restraint in this matter in trying to get our former representatives to fix this travesty, but unfortunately this has not occurred. We are hopeful that, with your intervention, the matter can be resolved without public or other recourse.”

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Players seek WICB help, say WIPA no longer their agent

The Lyrical Agent Sasco

Jeffrey Campbell, popularly known as Assassin or Agent Sasco, has become known as a great lyricist and songwriter.

The artiste, who is also a producer, and co-founder of Boardhouse Records, was named Assassin by classmates for his quick-witted lyrics and sharp shooting delivery, a talent recognised before age four.

Jeffrey has always carried with him this impressive ability. In the latter portion of his high-school years, he got his intro to the music industry when Spragga Benz recorded a song penned by them. Having a seasoned mentor and the drive, the young talent quickly escalated his efforts and by age 19, he had three number one hits in that same year.

Campbell grew up between Kintyre, St Andrew, with his mother, and St Catherine with his father. With humble beginnings, Jeffrey learned that the value of a fulfilled life is not measured by monetary possessions, but by the importance of personal output for good.

His mother, a strong Christian woman, and father, an ex -military officer, instilled a mindset of integrity, and emphasised the importance of education. Having this strong foundation has been an influence in the art and life of Assassin.

Fuelled by both purpose and passion, music comes naturally for the artiste. It is in his DNA to be a musician, and in his upbringing to succeed at everything he attempts. The day he discovered the most basic formula in music, the four-count bar, was the day he learned how to creatively infuse his lyrics into each song.

In addition, he continued his education in business management from University of Sunderland, adding to his skill sets of being a well-rounded professional artiste.

Signed to VP records in 2004, the deejay released two albums for the label, his debut album, Infiltration (2005), and a celebration of ghetto life, Gully Sit’in (2007), both of which were acclaimed by fans.

The year 2005 was a checkered year for the artiste, he released his first album, became a father and suffered the loss of his mother. Assassin took the experiences and directed his energy, motivating himself to strive and refresh his overall persona. The following year a name adaptation came into play, Agent 006 (2006), borrowed from a theme playing off James Bond. The agent theme eventually evolved into Agent Sasco, when close friends started calling him Sasco, a derivative of Assassin.

His discography over the past decade includes two full albums, and over 300 singles. He has performed solo shows and major festivals all over the globe. He has worked with major trendsetters in reggae music including, Shaggy, Marcia Griffiths, Beres Hammond, Spragga Benz, Sean Paul, Josie Wales, Bounty Killer, Maxi Priest, Buju Banton and many others.

In 2013, American hip-hop artiste Kanye West recognised Assassin’s lyrical dexterity and selected his verse for the song I’m In It, on the Yeezus album. This opportunity has expanded his visibility and opened doors across genres. Since then his lyrics have contributed to additional hip-hop artistes, songs, having worked with Jerry Wonda, Raekwon, Melanie Fiona, Kardinal Offishall, Lil Jon and others that are currently under way. His interest in crossing genres is part of his musical experience, yet he remains true to the essence of his craft, which is dancehall.

Assassin is currently working on his third album, expected to be released in 2015. He is expected to deliver an amazing set at the Arthur Guinness Day concert today.

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The Lyrical Agent Sasco