Dear Editor,
I have said it before and I say it again: I am not in support of any government running cricket. The administration of cricket must be carried out by committed, qualified, honest individuals who are elected to executive office by a free, transparent legal process.
Needless to say the last two years or so have been characterized by numerous allegations of malpractice which caused grave concerns to members of the Guyana Cricket Board, the majority of executive members and other stakeholders.
These concerns included financial impropriety, executive lawlessness and illegal election of the present so-called board. The issues have been publicised widely in the print and electronic media, with a comprehensive dossier being prepared and signed by eminent cricket officials which was circulated to the ICC, WICB, Government of Guyana and the major political parties.
The productive cricket fraternity, viz the Berbice Cricket Board, the East Coast Cricket Board and the Georgetown Cricket Association have been deliberately ostracized from the process of electing the persons they wish to run the cricketing affairs of Guyana. The two constitutions, legal acrobatics and elections day (July 10) theatrics which included the debarring of the press in favour of a specially selected videographer are a serious indictment of the fairness and legality of the current imposters.
I am therefore shocked that Mr Ramjattan and Mr ‘Reds’ Pereira could write now in support of the illegal group who occupy the GCB’s offices pretending to be legitimate when the entire election process was contaminated by irregularities.
This is particularly so in the case of Mr Ramjattan, whose party champions a cause for free and fair elections and justice but makes an about turn when his friends are involved. Mr Pereira publicly endorsed Ramsay Ali before the so-called elections, and is therefore committed to continuing support for his friend.
Mr Ali is also a Boy Scout leader, and my understanding of the Boy Scouts is that their promise is their bond, but Mr Ali who has promised so much at the cricket board, has delivered so little.
He promised funding for a mentoring programme, ladies cricket sponsorship, a professional league, and a resolution of the two constitutions issue, among others, but delivered none.
He promised in his first speech after the illegal elections of July 10 that he would immediately investigate the allegations of the members of the previous executive and Berbice Board and make the findings public. These included auditing the accounts for Dec 2010-July 2011, disclosures about the Pakistan tour, ladies cricket, the Under-19 team, Essequibo Board advances, assets of the Board and the resolution of the Demerara Board debacle. Mr Ali has produced nothing to date, and meanwhile during his tenure as Marketing Manager, the GCB lost quite a number of previously acquired sponsorships.
Mr Pereira should get accurate background information on the issues involving the dilemma in our cricket administration before making any pronouncement. Is he aware that five of the executives of the previous board have orchestrated themselves into position on the new illegal executive? No wonder they are afraid of any form of investigation!
He should carefully read the relevant clause in ICC regulations 2.9. A and B, which refers to the issue of government involvement in cricket, which in our case constitutes involvement to clean up and regularize a dirty, fractured cricketing body.
Also the clause that refers to member boards accepting affiliates who are not elected through free and fair elections with the corresponding consequences for such practice, whereby the WICB could be sanctioned.
Yes, the government has seen fit after two years of terribly adverse publicity to do something positive and they should be supported and complimented for acting in the interest of our cricket.
Where were the comments/recommendations, etc, while the mess was being squirted around and mayhem and disorder pervaded the previously clean cricketing landscape?
The situation certainly demands at least some form of investigation which of course cannot be properly done with the incumbents in office.
The only reasonable course of action is to have a central body carry out a process of investigation, evaluation and clarification of the various issues, then set the stage for free, fair elections to be held with all stakeholders being given the opportunity to contribute.
That is in my view the role of the IMC. We the cricketing public appreciate this move by government, unless, of course, one could recommend a better option that does not require the very persons who are responsible for the chaos to be sitting in their own judgment. Let justice prevail.
Yours faithfully,
Claude Raphael
