Wavell Hinds sued

PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad - Just weeks after being asked to step down as West Indies Players’ Association’s (WIPA) head by West Indies one-day international captain, Dwayne Bravo, following the ill-fated tour of India, Wavell Hinds is reportedly being sued for defamation by former Barbados cricket manager, Hartley Reid.

Barbados TODAY is reporting that in an 11-page claimant statement lodged in the Barbados Supreme Court on November 3, by Reid, Hinds is listed as the first defendant and WIPA as the second defendant.

The lawsuit accuses Hinds of making false and malicious allegations against Reid during this year’s NAGICO Super-50 cricket competition.

It stems from the highly publicised incident, which took place in February and resulted in former Barbados captain Kirk Edwards being sent home from Trinidad and Tobago for refusing to sign for his team uniforms.

Hinds, who acted as Edwards’ representative in the matter and WIPA director Michael Hall, had tried unsuccessfully to resolve the issue with both Edwards and Reid prior to the player’s expulsion.

In the lawsuit, Reid’s attorney Guyson Mayers contended that his client “remained within the confines of his mandate given by his principal and at no time was his actions draconian or drastic”.

Furthermore, he said Hinds’ comments “meant and was intended to mean that the claimant was unfit for his role of manager of the Barbados cricket team because he had no negotiation skills and was unable to resolve minor issues”.

Mayers also noted that there was “nothing puzzling about the Barbados Cricket Association ordering the return of Edwards to Barbados for not complying with team rules.

The assertion of the defendants meant and was intended to mean that Edwards was sent back to Barbados because of the sinister action of the claimant.

The attorney-at-law argued there was no evidence to suggest that the action had placed a blot on Edwards’ career as he had since gone on to represent the West Indies senior cricket team, in spite of having no form to recommend him for selection.

TRINIDAD EXPRESS