Dear Editor,
I refer to the Friday January 18,2019 edition of the Stabroek News and the letter under the headline, `It is time Guyana withdraws from Cricket West Indies’ written by Eric Whaul and I want to endorse everything that the gentleman wrote in that letter. As a cricket administrator for over twenty years now, it pains me to see how our cricketers are being treated by the West Indies selectors over the years. I want to submit that if Courtney Browne has his way the entire West Indies team will be made up of Bajan players. How long will we allow our players to suffer at the hands of the Courtney Browne cabal? And yes we have Dowlin there, but he is a yes man just like Clive Lloyd and Clyde Butts before him. They never look out for our cricketers. When we win this year, Guyana will be regional four-day champions for five consecutive years, yet we have only one player in the present West Indies team. This is gross eyepass and it is time we take a stand and say enough is enough. How on earth can John Campbell be selected before Chanderpaul Hemraj when only recently he hammered the Bajans for 144 runs and mind you that team consisted of nine West Indies players. Keemo Paul is having an outstanding regional tournament so far, likewise Veerasammy Permaul, who has been the leading spinner and wicket-taker in regional cricket for the past five years, yet cannot find a place in the West Indies team.
This disrespect, discrimination and insularity must stop now and I implore all stakeholders in Guyana’s cricket to unite and withdraw from Cricket West Indies and apply to the ICC for membership. As Mr. Whaul recommended, we should start out by playing 50 overs and 20/20 cricket, although I strongly believe this present Guyana team can beat the West Indies anytime. A team that consists of Tage.Chanderpaul,Hemraj,Vishaul Singh, Capt. Johnson, Hetymer, Paul, Bramble, Barnwell, Rutherford, Pestano, Sheppard, Keon Joseph, Permaul, Bishoo and Motie can hold its own against any international team. And that is why I would like take this opportunity to call on everyone in the cricket fraternity, including our sports journalists such as Sean Devers, John Ramsingh, Inderjeet Persaud, Romario Samaroo and others, our ex-cricketers and present cricketers, officials of the Guyana, Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo Boards and cricket fans for us to start a conversation on the way forward. As for corporate sponsorship, this would be an ideal opportunity for Exxon and other oil companies operating in Guyana to come on board and get international mileage and publicity for their operations in Guyana. And finally, with all the ethnic and political problems we have in Guyana, nothing will unite and bring our people closer together than to see Guyana beating Australia, England and yes West Indies in a cricket match. As Whaul said,”Can we do it?” yes we can.
Yours faithfully,
Imtiaz Baccus.