Two members of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday disassociated themselves from the court action filed by the GCB against the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).
Chairman of the senior selection committee, Claude Raphael and GCB vice-president, Bissoondyal Singh, said yesterday they were not a part of the legal action.
The GCB has filed an injunction against WIPA which seeks to prevent the players’ association from further involvement in the Guyana team which is scheduled to participate in the upcoming Airtel Champions League tournament in South Africa.
“I don’t know about ever giving instructions to take anybody to court. I, in my capacity as the VP of the GCB, wish to categorically say that I am not a part of that. If anybody signed on my behalf I wish to say I have not given anyone any permission to represent me on that particular issue,” Singh stated at a press conference held yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club, Bourda.
Like Singh, Raphael also disassociated himself from the legal battle and said that while he was aware that a lawyer had been contacted, he was made to understand that the executive members of the GCB were to be issued a draft document on the advice of the lawyer.
However, Raphael said that this was not forthcoming and subsequently he surprisingly learnt of the filing of the injunction.
“On the question of the legal matter, in my mind it is a matter that I was not aware of and I, quite like Mr. Singh, would like to disassociate myself from the procedures that are being carried out by the board, principally, because I was never a part of contacting any lawyers.
“I was surprised when at the meeting the lawyer had attended and he did articulate some points, but it was to my understanding that we were to receive a draft document pertaining to how they would proceed.
“We had that meeting on the Friday and by the Tuesday it was not forthcoming and I called the president and asked him where was the document. After that, boom, the legal matters were taking place but I was not privy to what was taking place, so I disassociate myself totally from it, from any legal proceedings that is going on between WIPA, WIMPACOL, and the GCB.”
Turning to the subject of Roger Harper’s omission from the support staff accompanying the Guyana Twenty20 team to South Africa, both Singh and Raphael declared that they were not in any way given a chance to be involved in the selection of those appointed to the support staff.
The pair stated that they merely got calls informing them of who were selected by the executives of the GCB.
They also stated that although being executive members of the board, they had no say in the selectionprocess, as there was no official democratic discussion on the issue.
Describing Harper’s presence as “invaluable” the pair said the former West Indies off-spinner’s absence from the staff was most unacceptable.
“One cannot argue the about the value of Roger Harper, his contribution and the impression that he has on the youngsters on the team is very good,” Raphael stated.
They argued that the decision not to allow Harper to accompany the team was another shot in the morale of the players.