As a row over the management of Guyana’s cricket seethes, the West Indies board this evening asked the Guyana Government to enable the Guyana Cricket Board to complete the process of fielding a team for the T20 tournament starting in Antigua on Monday.
Government has installed an Interim Management Committee to run cricket in Guyana and has derecognized the GCB, padlocking its office as part of the restructuring.
The GCB – still recognized by the WICB – has since written the WICB saying it is now unable to field a team because of the actions of the Guyana Government.
The text of the WICB press release follows:
St John’s, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board today wrote to the Minister of Sport of Guyana, Dr. Frank Anthony in response to a letter from the Minister to the WICB on January 4th.
The WICB outlined to Minister Anthony that it strongly desires to have the Guyana team participate in the Caribbean Twenty20 Tournament starting on Monday January 9th in Antigua.
The WICB informed the Minister that it is in receipt of official correspondence from the Guyana Cricket Board indicating that the GCB cannot field a team for the Caribbean Twenty20 as a result of the logistical and administrative challenges imposed upon it by the Government of Guyana.
The WICB also reiterated to the Minister that the Guyana team can only be provided by the authorized body for the governance of cricket in Guyana – the GCB – and not by any other entity (in his letter, Minister Anthony suggested that the IMC would provide a team to participate in the Caribbean Twenty20).
The WICB implored the Government of Guyana to allow the GCB to access its offices and resources to allow it to be able to complete the process of fielding the Guyana team for the Caribbean Twenty20.
Should the GCB continue to be in a position whereupon it is unable to provide a team for the Caribbean Twenty20 the WICB will:
1. Replace the Guyana team with a West Indies B Team
2. Provide match payment to all players selected to the Guyana squad (who are not selected to the West Indies B Team) as per the squad submitted to the WICB by the GCB.
These actions are proposed in an effort to protect, as far as is reasonable, the best interest of the selected Guyanese players so that they are not adversely affected financially from possible non-participation in the Caribbean Twenty20.
The West Indies B Team will include players selected on the Guyana squad who have represented the West Indies or who are under consideration for future selection.
The WICB is hopeful that this matter will be resolved in the best interest of the Guyanese cricketers, the fans of cricket in Guyana and the West Indies and the various stakeholders.
