A group of campaigners seeking change on the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) executive at upcoming elections believe that the new leadership should not inherit current problems of financial impropriety and grave indiscretions created by some of the current members.
Members of the campaign, who asked for anonymity when speaking with Stabroek Sport yesterday, also stated that they would not want to be associated with the GCB and cricket if some particular members are elected to the new executive. They noted that should a new executive conduct a forensic audit of the organisation’s books, many previous officials will likely be found culpable.
“These people just want to be in positions but they are not doing anything for the cricket. The cricket can’t go forward if we are not working together for cricket. These men don’t know anything about cricket and its organisation and that is a fact.
“These guys don’t do anything for the cricket. They want to go to the West Indies Cricket Board and have the status position so they can dominate and take over the running of the board with total disregard for the cricket itself and that is the problem,” a member of the group said.
The member noted that a letter was written to GCB President Chetram Singh, who will not be seeking re-election this year, outlining areas that needed improvement but these were ignored. “This group is trying to get them (the other part of the faction) to run the Board efficiently and professionally but only two persons are making the decisions,” he stated.
The group emphasised that it would be counter-productive to elect some of the same officials of the current executive, which had been operating with opposing factions. In particular, they believe that the GCB Treasurer’s absence from meetings was because he could not have answered the “serious and searching questions from members about the financial irregularities.”
One member added that due to some questionable practices, the state of cricket, both administratively and on the field, has declined to an all-time low.
Make the change
When Stabroek Sport enquired about the same problems possibly re-surfacing under a new executive, a member of the group said it is possible but that is a chance that the group is willing to take to ensure there is some semblance of change. He pointed out that while the thought is a “speculative one,” they believe that a line must be drawn. “There can be a repeat but certainly in our view you have to make the change and hope that it does not repeat itself. I mean that would be speculation but certainly we can’t go on with the same people knowing their limitations. I am not saying that somebody else wouldn’t do the same thing but we still have to take a chance,” he noted.
The group said that the board is in need of persons with technical knowledge of the positions they may fill. “We are aspiring to have technical people on the Board, who know cricket, who understand cricket and who will help in the technical and developmental aspect of the cricket so you give them that responsibility.
Additionally, we will have people who look after the financial management and the prudence of marketing and promotion and public image of the board. It is holistic and we are looking at some people that can fit into those programmes and make the sort of contribution that would help the cricket,” a group spokesman said.
