Dear Editor,
Cricket legend Alvin Kalicharran can be of great use in improving cricket in our homeland after the last decade of conflicts and poor performance among the youths. This is a fantastic and respected cricketer who made an enormous contribution to Guyana and West Indies cricket and whose services have not been tapped into. The former Guyana and West Indies captain dissed the PPP and endorsed the coalition just before the election on the expectation that he would be rewarded with a coaching contract. Other famed cricketers did not endorse any of the parties. Clive Lloyd, for example, did not endorse any party, and received a lucrative government contract as well as a prominent position with the West Indies Cricket Board. It has been two months since the coalition took office and Kalli or Alvin, as we call him, has not been approached for a contract to coach players or manage the national team. He deserves a coaching position and we can use his expertise.
When I was in Trinidad a year ago to conduct a NACTA opinion poll, I met Kalli who was there to meet cricket organizers for a prospective contract to coach. I met him at several locations all by coincidence and we had several exchanges on the state of Guyanese and West Indies cricket. In addition, we reminisced about cricket in Guyana and sporting personalities and games in Port Mourant, our home village as well as on life in the sprawling village. Kalli paid tribute to Uncle Hindu (Inderjeet Ramjee) who he said was responsible for his cricketing success; Uncle Hindu practically underwrote Kalli’s cricket expenses. Kalli also talked about his assault on Dennis Lillee’s fast, deadly bouncers in the 1975 inaugural World Cup as well as during the six Tests in Australia during the 1976 tour.
Kalli requested my assistance (to speak with cricket officials) to help him get a coaching job in Trinidad and Tobago. I did. I also spoke with government officials to help Kalli. Government and cricket officials spoke fondly of Kalli; they have a soft spot for him given his extraordinary performance at Queens Park. Trinis love Kalli and always looked forward to watching him in action in Test cricket and Shell Shield. The Trini officials did everything they could to help. He received a brief stint as a coach; competition for coaching stints is very stiff in T&T.
Kalli felt Guyanese cricket and government officials were not very supportive of him. The PPP government, in particular, did not go out of its way to assist or recognize him the way that it did to help Clive Lloyd and others. Those who benefited from the PPP government’s largesse did not endorse the party in any election and the party never learned any lesson.
Nevertheless, on the issue of a political endorsement, it was surprising to read that Kalli endorsed the coalition for the election even though Kalli’s elder sister was married to the older brother of Moses Nagamootoo. Many people thought that Kalli, a native of Port Mourant, home of Jagan who was the founder of the PPP, should have stayed neutral during the campaign. Kalli’s endorsement did help the coalition to win providing a cover and strength for those (especially Indians) who were sitting on the fence to vote coalition.
Now that the coalition is firmly in charge of managing the affairs of the nation, it should honour its obligation to Kalli who should be given a contract to coach and or manage cricket for the national team. In addition to an income, he should be rewarded with a government home, a chauffeur driven car, and a travel allowance. Kalli knows cricket better than others who have been contracted to coach. He is far more talented, respected and regarded than many others. He will be an effective coach and manager. The coalition should move quickly to utilize his expertise.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
