Dear Editor,
As a person in the cricket fraternity I tend to agree fully with those who see the state of cricket in Berbice as worrying. This is because the competitions organized by the Board are haphazardly planned and executed, very little attention is played to the First Division players, and worse yet, nothing is done to develop the youths.
Almost every year most cricket tournaments are pushed back to the following year. As of today’s date there are still many youth competitions left hanging. This is because of the absence of a coordinator who will see that such events are properly executed. Regardless of rain or sun, the matches set on the fixtures are a waste of time. Nobody sticks to these things any more. Teams turn up only to find no opposition to play with. This has been going on for a while now.
There has been an absence of two and three-day cricket for a while now in Berbice. Thank God for the franchise teams. But this by itself is not enough. There needs to be more 50 overs and two innings competition for Berbice. Many of the First Division players are demotivated and have lost interest in the game.
Absolutely nothing is done for the youths. This is evident from competitions that have not been completed since 2016. Matches that were supposed to be played then are still on hold. This is because of poor planning. The method of selecting these youngsters is very biased. Last year for example some youths were selected because there had to be a balance among all the major clubs.
I would like to say thumbs up to Mr Foster from Rose Hall who has been holding the reins for a while now. Good work is also being done by the Young Warriors of Canje which has produced some exciting cricketers, among them Shimron Hetmyer. Albion, Bermine and Port Mourant are three other teams that have kept the heart of cricket in East Berbice beating. West Berbice has also played its part.
I am calling on the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to take the following measures:
Adopt a franchise method for the youths just as was done for the seniors. This would ensure that more youths are exposed to the game and all would be given a fair opportunity. Even Demerara and Essequibo would benefit.
The yearly Inter-county matches should be two tournaments. One should be a two innings tournament and the other of 50 overs.
Appoint a coordinator attached to the GCB to plan and execute activities of a GCB nature in Berbice.
Seek sponsorship for more competitions for the First Division teams in Berbice.
I sincerely hope that the executives of the GCB note this with urgency.
Yours faithfully,
Alex Ross
