The just-concluded general elections as well as the current rainy weather have forced the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) to press the pause button on the playing of several of its competitions.
This was disclosed by BCB president Anil Beharry yesterday.
“We decided to take a break because of elections and now the weather,” Beharry told Stabroek Sport yesterday in an invited comment adding that because of the change of government…”We did not know what will happen.”
The decision to call of the matches was taken by competitions committee chairman Carl Moore.
Affected are school competitions as well as the New Building Society second division competition.
Beharry said the GCB has been pushing ahead with its efforts to develop cricket in the ancient county despite several bugbears.
Recently an injunction was filed in the Berbice High Court against 16 officials of the BCB including Beharry preventing them from holding themselves out to be officials of the BCB.
The injunction was filed by David Black, personally and in his capacity as president of the West Berbice Cricket Association and by Godwyn Allicock, personally and in his capacity as secretary of the Port Mourant Cricket Club.
The injunction was lifted allowing the BCB to continue to function while the matter is being heard.
Beharry said the next court date is June 16 in Georgetown. The BCB is being represented by Ramesh Rajcoomar.
Beharry said the BCB has had to postpone its annual awards ceremony and the staging of an ordinary general meeting.
He said the BCB is also in need of funding to help run its programmes.
“It’s five years now that the BCB has not been receiving any subvention from the GCB,” he said.
“I’m glad to glad to hear that the new government plans to give sports associations’ subventions.
“Every year the BCB used to receive between $1.5 to two million dollars from the Guyana Cricket Board to assist with administrative costs.”
Beharry said now the BCB is forced to seek sponsorship to assist in the day-to-day running of the BCB as well as to run off tournaments and to help the cricketers participate in trials to select teams to participate in GCB Inter-County competitions.
Administrative costs of the BCB per month ranges from $120,000-$130,000, Beharry disclosed.
Beharry also said that the BCB has sent a congratulatory cable to the new coalition government headed by President David Granger and Prime Minister designate Moses Nagamootoo on their victory at the recent polls.
Following is the text.
“The President, Executive and Members of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) takes this opportunity to congratulate the APNU/AFC Coalition on their election to Government for the next five years.
A release from the BCB congratulates Newly Elected President David Granger and his running mate Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo.
Further, the release also thanked the former government for all the support that was given to the board over the years and is confident that the relationship with the new government will be no different.
Cricket is our number one sport and it is the single largest unifying force for our country and we all must recognize the importance of this game. Is it a noble game that crosses all race and religion, and we hope that the newly elected government will quickly help to remove all the controversies that exist in our cricket today. We must all recognize the task ahead and it can only be achieved if all of us put our shoulders to the wheel.
Once again, congratulations to President David A Granger and his team.”
Beharry said now that there is a new government he is hoping for a speedy resolution to the issues affecting the implementation of the Cricket Administration Bill so that all the issues can be resolved and cricket move forward.
“This thing is dragging on more and more. I don’t know how effective cricket administration will be if the issues are not sorted out. Cricket is suffering,” he stated.
