By Marlon Munroe
Since the national male under-19 and senior women’s cricket teams have been named by selectors of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) there have been no practice sessions for them because of the current rainy season.
Additionally, Cricket Development Officer (CDO) within the GCB Reon King told Stabroek Sport the non-appointment of coaches and managers have also prevented the sessions from beginning.
President of the GCB Chetram Singh, contacted yesterday on why the indoor facility was not being used, said that this period represented a break in the cricket season adding that all preparations will restart in July.
He added that the executives will be meeting shortly to plan for the second half of the year.
Singh did not answer when asked whether the board will wait until the rainy season ends.
But he disclosed that the training facility will be used in July. As it relates to the other competitions that were thwarted by rain he said these will commence in the second half.
While it is not yet known where the venues will be for the tournaments, it is known that the under-19 tournament will be held in July.
It is also known that the facility was built to allow cricketers to prepare before tournaments and to be used as an alternative training venue if there is rain.
This was stated when the GCB officially opened the hostel and training facility on April 21 at the La Bonne Intention (LBI) Community Centre.
King on the other hand said that while the training squads were selected there has also been no work because the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) is currently conducting a 23-man elite training camp for its cricketers.
The former West Indies fast bowler pointed out that his CDO office was approached to use the facility at LBI and the persons were given the green light to start preparation for the teams.
He is hoping that preparation will start shortly for the teams but one of the major reasons why this is not happening is the non-appointment of the managers and coaches.
Meanwhile, when GCB vice president Bissoondyal Singh was contacted yesterday he said that at the GCB level nothing has been decided on as yet for the preparation of the team at the facility but there will be a meeting on Friday to discuss this.
However, Bissoondyal Singh, who is also the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) president, said that his board has planned some sessions for the Demerara players ahead of the inter-county championships in the second half of the year.
He said that while he wants this stint to commence the GCB itinerary will take precedence should it start and it clashes with his DCB training and conditioning stint, which will start shortly. Bissoondyal Singh declared that this programme is going to be held because he wants to keep his players’ minds fixed on cricket and therefore this programme will be important for them.
Former national player Orin Bailey will be working with the male and female Demerara cricketers. Contacted yesterday, Bailey said that he wants to work with the players but his work will start only when the green light is given by the DCB executives.