Azim Bassarath was returned unopposed yesterday as president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board for s second consecutive two-year term of office at the organisation’s Annual General Meeting staged at the National Cricket Centre in Balmain, Couva.
In an anti-climax caused by the late withdrawal of a challenge from the rival Friends of Cricket group of supporters, members of the Movement for Change incumbent slate led by Bassarath were all re-elected unopposed and returned to office by acclamation.
The other top officers elected back on the national executive were Dudnath Ramkessoon (First Vice-president); Lalman Kowlessar (Second Vice-President); Arjoon Ramlal (General Secretary); and Sukesh Maniam (Treasurer).
Executive Members elected, also unopposed, were Dr Allen Sammy, Patrick Rampersad, Ann Browne-John, Don Asgarali, Ian Ramlal and Baldath Mahabir.
The election of officers was supervised by Larry Romany, chairman of the T&T Olympic Committee who was assisted by attorney-at-law Ricardo Williams.
The shoo-in by Bassarath and his executive was not totally unexpected as Movement for Change supporters have over the past couple months secured the top positions in zonal and other elections held by the T&TCB affiliates.
The incoming officers had given a strong signal that they were in full support of Bassarath and his executive despite stinging criticism about the Cricket Board’s performance from Friends of Cricket and also Minister of Sport Anil Roberts.
However, the Movement for Change, led by Bassarath has been working on the ground and were at pains to stress their achievements of the past two years in which pride of place was taken by the all-embracing development programmes.
In his acceptance speech Bassarath said he was humbled by the opportunity to lead the T&T Cricket Board for a second term of office and thanked the national representatives for their show of confidence in his team.
Bassarath said that if his first team was marked by revamping and realigning the plans of the T&T Cricket board after it was derailed by the last administration, the coming two years will see the strengthening of the cricket structure to ensure that national teams excel at all levels.
He said that at the grass roots level, focus will be placed once again on the development of facilities to serve the respective communities and an added effort will be made to further extend the programmes targeting the training of zonal and club officials.
Bassarath said that in the new dispensation more respect will be shown for the contribution made over the past years to those who had sacrificed to help establish the T&T Cricket Board as an independent , successful organization committed to serving all sectors of the national community with transparency and accountability.
In his report to the AGM, treasurer Sukesh Maniam announced that the finances of the T&TCB were “strong and solid” which he attributed to “due diligence and prudence” of the financial officers of the Board.
Maniam disclosed that the T&TCB is feeling the effects of the global financial crunch and the drying up of financial resources of traditional supporters of the game like Government’s Sport Company and other corporate sponsors.
However he said that the balance in the bank stood at $5.4 million which will ensure that the plans and programmes of the T&TCB will go on uninterrupted but that all avenues will be explored to attract sponsors to sustain the progress made in ensure competitions are organized to keep the cricketers in readiness for regional and international duty.
He said the significant contribution made by the National Gas Company, British Gas, Eastern Credit Union, Caribbean Airlines, the National Lotteries Control Board, National Petroleum and First Citizens who all continue to show their corporate and social responsibility.
