Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter written by Mr Fizul Bacchus, Vice President of the GCB in SN of July 21 captioned ‘Articles on proceedings of Guyana Cricket Board’s AGM are misleading.’
Is it true that the press was debarred from attending the meeting and if so what was the rationale? Was there something to hide?
1. The Guyana Cricket Board has always pursued an open door policy and the press was an integral part of that policy. If the press were to retaliate and refuse to cover future cricket board events, what would be the board’s position?
2. There seems to be some dispute as to how many delegates are required for a quorum. I am informed that it was always 14. If it was changed to 12, can Mr Bacchus say at which general meeting it was changed and whether he has the minutes for that general meeting?
3. Did Mr Sanjeev Datadin when he took up his position as returning officer ensure that there was a quorum? Assuming but not admitting that the quorum is 12, can Mr Bacchus say who were the three Berbice delegates present at the elections? I am of the view that when Mr Chetram Singh and his executives vacated the head table those proceedings came to an end, and Mr Datadin had to ensure that there was a quorum before he could have proceeded with the elections. I am sure Mr Bacchus shares a different view and maybe that is why there are lawyers and courts.
4. Mr Bacchus admonished persons for going to court but wasn’t it the Essequibo Cricket Board of which he is Vice-President that took the friendly societies to court? Can Mr Bacchus say whether he sought permission from the eight constituent members of the Essequibo Cricket Board to launch proceedings in the name of the Essequibo Cricket Board.
5. Mr Bacchus issues a threat to the Berbice Cricket Board that if they do not co-operate, they will be disciplined. Well I do not believe Mr Bacchus wrote this letter although he must have signed it because it is not in his character to issue threats. Instead of threatening the Berbice Board, however, Mr Bacchus may do well to examine the performance of the Essequibo Cricket Board over the past five years or so. The level of Essequibo cricket is sinking to new lows. One of their teams recently could only muster ten runs replying to nearly three hundred made by the opposing team. On many occasions the Essequibo teams are humiliated and Mr Bacchus sits as Vice-President without a clue to reverse the trend.
6. For all intents and purposes the Guyana Cricket Board is an amalgamation of the Essequibo Cricket Board, West Coast Demerara Cricket Board and the East Bank Cricket Association – three comatose organizations. The only two boards that have done anything of importance over the past five years or so are Berbice and Georgetown. So instead of issuing threats, I suggest Mr Bacchus resolves to win some inter-county competitions this year and maybe get three or four persons on each of the Guyana teams.
Yours faithfully,
Gary Singh
