By Marlon Munroe
Essequibo Cricket Board President Sheikh Ahmad has acknowledged that he feels partly responsible for the current depressed state of the game in his county which has experienced more than a decade of failure at the inter-county level.
However, he also heaps blame on some of the executive members of the board whose attitude has placed his administration in an unflattering light
Ahmad, after Essequibo was bowled out for 105 on the first day in the second round of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) four-day tournament, alleged that one of the executives on the ECB had owed the board over $500,000 after a business transaction. He said further that there were many enquiries about repayment but a number of promises were left unfulfilled.
School teacher Ahmad explained that this money can be used to finance some amount of development in the county. Further, he disclosed that the board only has $25,000 in its coffers although it would have received a one-million-dollar subvention earlier this year.
He pointed out however that more than half of that money had to be used for security purposes at the recently-built cricket hostel at Anna Regina. Stabroek Sport understands that $1,500 has to be paid to the security personnel at the facility on a nightly basis.
Ahmad also spoke out about the construction of the boarding house and training facility asserting that this did not solve the cricketing problems in the county. These issues aside, he reiterated his disappointment over the progressive failure of the administration, and by extension, of the teams coming out of Essequibo.
Embarrassed
When Stabroek Sport enquired about the hastily organized team to play Berbice (on the day of the match) and subsequently the walking off of umpires Nigel Duguid and Daverteeth Anandjit because there was not adequate water, he said that he felt embarrassed.
He offered the explanation that some players did not get the requisite release from their workplaces but according to a source the application was not made in a timely manner.
This resulted in Essequibo rotating three players to fill the slot of wicketkeeper since there was no specialist wicketkeeper. The team was not prepared mentally and otherwise to compete against Berbice, he reasoned.
On the issue of the non-availability of water he said that it was a miscalculation on the board’s part.
When asked if these blunders can easily reflect the general attitude of the board he said, “Yes.” He added that such matters place his administration in an unflattering light but some of his executive members are part of the problem.
Fragmented
Additionally, he has also sounded his disgust over the neglect of the Guyana Cricket Board, the governing body in the country. In a telephone interview on Wednesday evening Ahmad, who replaced Alvin Johnson as president in January, also revealed that the GCB is too fragmented and this state has slipped down to some of the area boards.
Ahmad, who is also an executive on the GCB, said that cricket issues should take more precedence at GCB meetings rather than an attack on personalities. He bluntly stated that he is “not satisfied with the treatment of the ECB by GCB.”
He said that the policies of the GCB do not suit the unique geographical makeup of the Cinderella County. According to the ECB president, the GCB had appointed three coaches to three areas of the county but he is contending that Essequibo has eight areas.
On the other hand, when asked what has been done to deal with the situation where players have been playing only the shorter versions of the game, he said that it has been hard to secure sponsorship for the longer versions. Businesses are more prone to contribute to the shorter and more exciting Twenty20 format, Ahmad noted.