The Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) says there is no legal impediment to its existence and is threatening disciplinary action against the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB).
The DCB was reacting to statements made at a press conference on Saturday by the GCA and the ECCB when it was disclosed that the Hand-In-Hand Group of Companies was pulling the plug on the second division limited overs cricket competition it had sponsored recently.
At the conference Hand-in-Hand’s Director and Fire Manager Howard Cox, told the media that the company was concerned about the “issues and legal developments affecting the Demerara Cricket Board, ” following a letter to the company from the GCA and the ECCB.
“As a sponsor of cricket and especially this competition for over 30 years, it would have been more beneficial for us to have received these documents much earlier,” Cox stated whilst expressing the hope that the matter would soon be resolved paving the way for the staging of the competition.
In a press release the media, the DCB stated that it… “respects the wishes of its sponsors and cricketers and will make every effort to ensure that cricket is played continuously in our county despite these negative actions by this misguided group.”
The DCC condemned the action of the GCA and the ECCB and said that it had referred the matter to its disciplinary committee for further action.
“The DCB had submitted to all media houses copies of the court orders that were made by the Honourable James Bovell-Drakes in 2011 and is aghast at these blatant lies and untruths that continue to be published wholesale by some sections of the media without any effort to verify the facts from these Court Orders,” the DCB release stated.
“In December 2011, Mr. Harper had brought a contempt of court motion against the same Raj Singh-led administration and withdrew same when he realized his motion was going to be thrown out by the Honorable Judge. It is mind-boggling that some people are so easily misled by this dwindling group,” the release stated.
“The DCB just concluded the Under 15 and Under 19 inter-association competitions, without the cooperation of these two associations, whilst ensuring that young cricketers from all areas of Demerara, inclusive of Georgetown and East Coast Demerara, were selected to represent their respective areas. We make no apologies for these actions.”
It went on:”The DCB wishes to state very clearly that they have a duly constituted Executive Committee that was legally elected at a duly constituted AGM without any legal restrictions and will continue to function in the development of cricket in the County of Demerara.
“The DCB remains committed to the promotion and development of youths and cricket in Demerara. The distraction of so-called “shareholders” will not deter our efforts.
