I wish to congratulate our cricketers for performing with distinction against all odds including an illegal, incompetent and discriminating regime that has hijacked our cricket for over seven years during which time there has been no elections. Although our youngsters have done us proud, Guyanese have been finding it difficult to gain selection to the WI Test, One-Day and T20 teams. Are we winning the battle but losing the war?
This illegal regime has been wreaking havoc on our cricket establishment for over seven years. I am amazed that successive Governments of Guyana, the cricket fans and even sponsors could tolerate this untenable situation for so long. It is most disheartening when reputable firms sponsor youth cricket tournaments knowing fully well that our youngsters are being weaned within an environment of illegality, unaccountability, discrimination and improper cricket development programmes. Indeed our cricketers must play as much cricket as possible. However, their cricket development must coincide with their personal development so that even if they do not become successful cricketers they would be well-rounded and decent citizens.
The continuing illegality of the GCB could be properly addressed immediately once the Attorney General, the Minister of Education and Sport and the current government as a whole demonstrate the will or desire to restore our cricket to order by defending the challenge to the Cricket Act in court. This matter is outstanding since December 2014 and as a result free and fair elections cannot be held.
It is time for Guyana to have order, decency and accountability restored to our beloved game of cricket.
The fact remains that Anil Beharry, Keith and Hilbert Foster, Angela Haniff and the executive body of Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), Roger Harper of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and Bissoondyal Singh of the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) are the ones to be complimented. Their steadfastness and their excellent cricket development programmes continue to produce cricketers at all levels for our country and have made us proud. They do not receive any funds from the GCB although that Board receives US$640,000 per year to develop our cricket. Essequibo, West Demerara and East Bank Demerara selected the present so-called GCB officials but have precious little cricket being played in their areas and consequently have not produced any cricketers for Guyana over the past seven years. The reality is that Anand Sanasie has been on the executive of the West Demerara Cricket Association for fourteen years and that association failed to produce a single cricketer for the Senior National team.
The Upper Demerara Cricket Association (Linden) has been totally ostracized by the present illegal GCB with their youngsters, male and female, unable to participate in any Cricket Board tournaments because of the action by the GCB.
Their main contention in the challenge to the Guyana Cricket Administration Act is that they do not want the inclusion of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association in the national cricket administration structure. It is therefore ironic that this callous attempt to ostracize in excess of forty thousand Afro-Guyanese and Amerindians from Linden is apparently not bothersome to the APNU+AFC administration although they received three seats in the National Assembly from that very area.
In this regard, the incumbent National Sports Commission must explain to the nation the rationale for the recent awards to the GCB and its Secretary, Anand Sanasie, and especially as it is generally accepted that the current GCB is illegal. I wish to remind the cricketing public of the following:
Minister of Education and Sport Dr Rupert Roopnaraine, Minister Joseph Harmon, Minister Khemraj Ramjattan, Attorney General Basil Williams and Director of Sport Christopher Jones sat on the Parliamentary Special Select Committee and after twenty-two meetings approved the Cricket Administration Bill unanimously.
It was Education and Sport Minister Dr Roopnaraine’s articulate presentation which piloted the Cricket Administration Bill through its successful passage in Parliament.
The Director of Sport, Mr Christopher Jones, recently and publicly chastised the administration of the GCB and had previously stated that there should be free and fair elections for the GCB.
There is an outstanding challenge to the Cricket Administration Act where both the Attorney General and the Minister of Education and Sport are the defendants. These Ministers have been somewhat tardy in their efforts to defend the frivolous challenge.
Maybe the attendance of high-ranking coalition government officials at Secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie’s recent birthday party may suggest the reasons for the long delay in having free and fair elections under the Act.
Yours faithfully,
W G Boston
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