-say Singh, Raphael
The overlooking of national players Ramnaresh Sarwan, Travis Dowlin and Narsingh Deonarine by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for central retainer contracts was yesterday called a national eye-pass by some executive members of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
Vice-president of the GCB, Bissoondyal Singh and chairman of the senior selection committee, Claude Raphael, at a press conference held yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCB) voiced disbelief at the excuses given by the WICB as to why the players were not retained.
Singh and Raphael along with assistant secretary of the GCB, Ronald Williams and Omar Bacchus, who has served as a match refereer for international matches on occasions, indicated that they were acting in their own individual capacities and not representing any formal body.
Speaking of the omission of the three players from the list of players contracted by the WICB, Singh charged that it was….“embarrassing and naïve of the West Indies board to insult Guyana’s cricket like this.
“This is not the first (time) that something like this has happened.
“We have had incidents in the past, but we have two directors who are sitting on that WICB, one being one of the longest serving members on the WICB, and their silence is deafening when it comes to issues like this, as it pertains to the treatment of our players,” Singh charged.
The GCB vice president stated that the reasons given by the WICB for Sarwan’s omission were ridiculous and ludicrous.
“Our focus here is Ramnaresh Sarwan and the claim that he was not retained because of a fitness issue. Well, I would want to think that it is absolutely ridiculous and ludicrous for the WICB to come up with something like that.
“I think it is a matter of a national eye-pass that one of our national senior players, a man like Sarwan cannot have a retainer contract and to say that it is because he was sick last year I can’t believe that.
“Sarwan is fit now, we saw this at the stadium. And I say it again, the silence is really deafening when it comes to our two directors (on the WICB). I don’t know how they can treat Guyana like this. There was a similar case years ago with Carl Hooper.”
Singh stated that of recent Sarwan has not had a most amicable relationship with some of the executives of the WICB and surmised that he does not know if this may have played a role in his omission.
“It is my belief that that this contract business is being used as a weapon, and I don’t know if they are issuing contracts at discretion.
I think it is public knowledge now, it is no secret, that Sarwan and his relationship with some of the directors (of the WICB) are not cardinal.
“I don’t know if all of these factors were taken into consideration to arrive at their decision, but somehow or the other this must stop.
Raphael said that the decision by the WICB was untimely.
“We are of the view that the timing is particularly bad considering the kind of preparation work that has been put in place to have our players ready for South Africa tour.
“To hit them now, these players of the team, three of the senior players of the team, with this, it is certainly not in the best interest of motivating that team,” Raphael stressed.
“I can’t see how it would motivate the players, or how it could be good for the players of this team that will be representing this region at such a prestigious tournament.
“This is demoralizing and will be affecting them adversely more than positively,” Raphael declared.
Speaking of Sarwan’s omission, Raphael said that injury was a factor of sports of any kind and stressed that he could not comprehend why Sarwan could be bypassed due to injury, suggesting that this was just a smokescreen for the WICB to stop dealing with Sarwan
And Singh questioned how the move could help motivate the West Indies middle order batsman.
“I was made to understand when I read in the papers that this should serve Mr. Sarwan as a motivator.
“Somebody on the WICB is saying that he should be motivated? Now that is ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.” Singh said.