Dear Editor,
I refer to two letters in relation to the government’s decision to dissolve the Guyana Cricket Board and to set up an IMC to run Guyana’s cricket. These letters are Frederick Kissoon’s (‘The only medium to stop this depravity is the West Indian Cricket Board‘) in the Kaieteur News of August 28 and Mr Claude Raphael’s (‘Government should be supported in its proposal re GCB‘) in the Sunday Stabroek of August 28. These letters articulate different positions, with Mr Claude Raphael supporting the IMC and Mr Kissoon opposing it. I agree with both individuals. I agree with Mr Kissoon that we must guard against government involvement in an organisation like the GCB, but Mr Raphael has a point in that Mr Ally and his team were only supported by one cricket board, the Essequibo Cricket Board. The Berbice Cricket Board (the only sane cricket board in the country) is on record as boycotting the elections, so Mr Ally has no mandate to govern cricket in this country. He has neither legal authority nor moral authority. However, I agree with Mr Kissoon that the government has to be careful and not politicise the IMC. The President should find an individual who is competent and experienced in cricket administration to head the IMC. Such a person exists in Guyana and the President should move swiftly and appoint him to head the IMC. The President should also debar all the feuding personalities from sitting on the IMC. In particular, Mr Bissoondyal Singh and Mr Sanasie should not be around cricket administration. Finally the President should invite Messrs Hunte and Hillaire to Guyana to explain to them that Mr Ally is a product of flawed elections and only has the support of nine out of twenty-seven members. I am sure if the right person is appointed to head the IMC, Guyana can proudly host the matches that are scheduled for this country. However, the President must understand that there are certain elements in Guyana from the main cricket board who are working overtime to undermine his decision and to embarrass him. The only way the President can outmanoeuvre them is by appointing a professional team headed by a top gun.
Yours faithfully,
Hari Persaud
