Early this week the national cricketers, like animals caught in the glare of a car headlight, were a confused bunch, not knowing, whence or which way to turn.
This followed the decision by the government to set up an Interim Management Committee (IMC) which has, in essence (and despite the protestations of government) replaced the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
The formation of the IMC resulted in a certain amount of confusion over the issue of who exactly was responsible for the day-to-day operations of cricket.
Despite the intervention of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) which has stated unequivocally that they recognize the current GCB executive, and will not accept teams submitted by any other entity, the IMC has gone ahead on two occasions and named representative Guyana national teams.
On the first occasion for the recent Caribbean T20 tournament, the WICB first rejected the IMC named team and Guyana was on the verge of being omitted from the tournament before good sense prevailed.
“The WICB recognizes the GCB as the sole legitimate authority for the administration of cricket in Guyana. In addition, the GCB is the only body that can organize or request the sanction of official cricket in Guyana,” WICB president Julian Hunte stated then.
The above statement notwithstanding, the IMC continues to make decisions that seem to suggest that they have usurped the functions of the GCB.
The government, it seems, is prepared to play hard ball.
Matters came to a head on Tuesday (this week) when both the IMC and the GCB released squads of 30 and 31 players to prepare for the upcoming WICB Regional Four-Day competition.
The IMC also named Ramnaresh Sarwan skipper of the Guyana team and invited the 30 players to a meeting on Wednesday.
That development left the national cricketers with a dilemma.
That only seven players turned up says a lot about the players’ indecision faced with the request from, in essence, the government of this country.
On Thursday, the IMC scheduled a practice session at the Guyana National Stadium and according to reports, while some players did turn up, the session was affected by the inclement weather.
A three-day practice match is scheduled to commence today but, it is unclear how many players will turn up although it was reported that a greater number showed up yesterday afternoon for net sessions at the Providence National Stadium.
Late yesterday the IMC named a 14-man team for the opening match against the Leeward Islands in the Four-Day regional competition which bowls off on February 3.
Not to be outdone, the GCB, which has continued to function in open defiance of the government (despite being locked out of the Regent Street office) on Thursday, named their team with experienced Test player shivnarine Chanderpaul as skipper and Veerasammy Permaul, as his deputy.
They then requested that the players assemble this morning at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence, La Bonne Intention.
The players are certainly caught between a rock and a hard place forced to choose between the rule of law and the rules of the governing body for cricket in the region, the WICB and its recognized affiliate, the GCB.
Clearly, the situation is intolerable!
Since, the government is suggesting that the decision to implement the IMC was based on a Court directive, and since the Court is the highest decision making body in the land, it leaves the cricketers who deliberately ignored or flouted the IMC’s call, batting on a sticky wicket.
Ideally, the players should adhere to the rules of the WICB as the legal representatives for cricket in the region but this situation is not an ideal one and whichever way the cookie crumbles, there are bound to be repercussions.
The IMC has stated that it is not interested in carrying out the day to day operations of cricket in Guyana but its actions suggest otherwise.
The government has been emboldened by the fact that it apparently has the support of CARICOM, and that collectively, regional governments can pull the rug out from underneath the WICB’s feet by refusing to sanction the use of stadia (built for the 2007 World Cup) for regional tournaments and international matches.
The WICB, mindful of this development, and with Australia due here early this year, seems unsure how to tackle this latest uprising, latest challenge to its authority as the supreme ruler for regional cricket especially since the ever-robust West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) its chief adversary, seems to be in support of the government-imposed IMC.
A meeting two weeks ago between the WICB, led by its president Julian Hunte and the IMC, led by Sport Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, failed to arrive at a satisfactory conclusion according to the government which has denied a report that the two bodies had arrived at a consensus.
The sides will apparently try again.
The directors of the WICB will hold a teleconference call this morning in a last ditch attempt to straighten out this latest imbroglio which threatens the strict control the WICB exercises over its affiliates, the six territorial boards.
Following today’s meeting it is expected that the WICB will make its position known to the Guyana Government. It’s time for tough decisions.
There are numerous problems affecting Guyana’s cricket. The two Demerara Cricket Boards issue; allegations of financial impropriety; allegations that the GCB elections last July were hijacked and the fact that the GCB as presently constituted is not a legal body and cannot sue or be sued and therefore offers no protection to the players that come under its umbrella are just a few.
That is why the government has set up the IMC to try and resolve those issues leading ultimately to fresh elections.
If the WICB is not supportive of the Government’s efforts in this regard then they ought to set up a committee to investigate all of the above.
Either alternative will be acceptable to the stakeholders of Guyana’s cricket —-the people.
But somebody has to clean up the mess.
