-says govt offered to pay all costs
Chairman of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) for cricket, Clive Lloyd has rejected claims that the formation of the IMC has scuttled the national team’s participation in next week’s Caribbean Twenty20 tournament and has urged the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to let the players go.
Amidst the continued wrangling between the GCB and government, Lloyd, at a press briefing yesterday, charged that it was the GCB that is responsible for the team’s withdrawal. The team was due to leave Guyana this weekend to participate in the 10-team Regional T20 competition which commences Monday in Antigua.
However, on Wednesday, the GCB which is the entity recognized by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) as being responsible for all aspects of cricket in Guyana, wrote their parent body stating that they would be unable to field a team to participate in the upcoming tournament. This follows the government through the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, dissolving the GCB and replacing it with an IMC headed by the legendary and respected International Cricket Council official Clive Lloyd.
Questioned yesterday on whether he thinks a compromise can be arrived at to get the team to go, Lloyd also known as “Super Cat” said he hoped so since, in his estimation, it would be a great disappointment if the local team was unable to participate in the tournament.
A GCB official had told Stabroek Sports that the WICB had given the GCB up to 4pm on Wednesday to inform them whether they would be able to send a team or not. In a letter to the WICB, GCB secretary Anand Sanasie said that the local body had tried their utmost to get the government to acquiesce to the wishes of the players and the GCB but to no avail. He said the GCB decided on the team’s withdrawal because the Guyana government locked the GCB’s offices and storage bond since December 24th 2011.
Yesterday Lloyd said that the government has allowed GCB officials to take whatever they need from the GCB office on Regent Street and has offered to pay the costs for the team.
“I am in talks with the GCB members to let them understand that this team was chosen by them and not by the government which was accepted by the WICB. All I am appealing to them is let the team go and be part of the tournament then we sit down around the table and discuss the future of cricket in Guyana. I don’t see what the problem is, it seems somewhat semantic and individual(istic) hampering young people from plying their trade which I think is disastrous and very wrong,” he said.
“I, Robin Singh (GCB Cricket Operations Officer), Minister (of Sport Frank) Anthony and some players sat down a few days ago and we discussed this matter. The Minister informed them they can take whatever they need from the office and he offered to finance whatever they need”, Lloyd added.
He laid the blame for the national team’s non-participation in the regional tournament squarely on the GCB’s doorstep. “The point is you have to say the GCB is responsible for the team’s withdrawal. The government has had a chat with the GCB officials four or five months ago and we discussed the IMC and there was no difficulty. There was one area the IMC was working along with the GCB, but that has taken a different turn. This IMC issue was not thrown to them (GCB officials) five to ten minutes ago. Rather this was something that was talked about and they realized what will happen if things does not fall in place,” he continued.
Lloyd said: “I don’t, know of any country where you have two national cricket boards and two factions in county, state, region (Demerara cricket board issue). The entire saga has been entirely confusing for the players, they need clarity over this more than anyone and I presume youngsters outside of cricket seeing this infighting would certainly shun cricket.”
Lloyd, MBE, is the most successful West Indies captain ever, having played 110 test and 87 one-day internationals during his glittering 19-year career from 1966-1985.He reflected nostalgically on his days growing up and seeing Guyana as a dominant force in sports in the region. He said he hopes to see those days return and once more reiterated what he said in past press conferences – that he would not be part of any IMC that is taking over the cricket board.
“I’ve been in contact with WICB president Julian Hunte and I have been assuring him that the IMC is not taking over Guyana cricket, I certainly would not be part of it, if that was the case. The IMC is not picking the team, manager, coach, it’s trying to make cricket in Guyana accountable.” he asserted.
