As the high profile endorsements mount for his rival, amidst his invisible plans for the future and the bombshell ESPN Cricinfo expose’ on his expense indulgences, fans should be repulsed by the Guyana Cricket Board’s continued slavish support for the Cricket West Indies (CWI) incumbent president Dave Cameron.
With former playing greats Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts and others giving Cameron the thumbs down for a fourth term, in preference for challenger Ricky Skerritt, the revelation that Cameron’s presence in the chair is costing approximately US $500,000, has whacked an already poor campaign.
Cricinfo’s report of Cameron allegedly seeking an increase of US$10,000 in monthly general expenses, which were eventually whittled down to US$6,000, an entertainment allowance reaching $100,000 and travel, office maintenance and staff taking the yearly bill to the half million US dollars figure, is an absurdity for a cash strapped organization whose international teams continue to languish at the near bottom of the international rankings.
Some of those allegations, however, have been refuted by CWI in a CMC report.
Yet this is the candidate the GCB has given its unequivocal support to, not even considering Skerritt’s request for a hearing, in a blatant disregard for democratic norms, a decision ridiculed far and wide.
But this is the way the GCB is run, allowed to make major decisions on behalf of the country, without a properly and legally elected president for eight years, leaving a secretary in Anand Sanasie to call the shots, irrespective of whether such decisions bring benefits to the sport or not.
The Barbados Cricket Association, which along with the Windwards Board and Guyana, simultaneously blanked Skerritt’s request, was subsequently shamed into backtracking on that decision.
Skerritt, the former West Indies team manager and St Kitts Tourism Minister, was subsequently accommodated after a fierce backlash in Barbados.
However, instead of even thinking about displaying some measure of decency in justifying the board’s action, Sanasie, dug his heels in his recent Stabroek News, interview, claiming they were disrespected by Skerritt’s request letter, which is a typical response of Third World administrators, to justify whatever they do. It’s all about them first and foremost ahead of the sport, its players and fans.
Skerritt revealed it is Cameron’s intention to upgrade the position he holds to executive status , a move that could probably mean longer terms of office and even greater perks.
And Skerritt must, know, being a board representative for years, yet it means nothing to Sanasie and the GCB, given their decision to support Cameron three long months before the actual election.
Over the years Sanasie has gathered a measure of influence, by whatever means, within the CWI hierarchy and prefers to not want or hear of anyone else but Cameron at the helm.
Is it any surprise the CWI president has never expressed concern that the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) has not held elections in eight years, and has turned a blind eye to the allegations of gross victimization meted out to the Berbice Cricket Board over the years, at the hands of the former organization?
Despite his baggage, Cameron has been the most paraded West Indies cricket board president in the offices of Presidents and Prime Ministers in Guyana, all courtesy of Sanasie.
As it is, the GCB, its Barbados and Windward Islands counterparts, would prefer Cameron’s money bleeding practices to those impressive ones outlined by Skerritt even if it means, the West Indies team must do without a fast bowling coach, a fielding coach and resorting to an interim Head Coach.
Yes, the support for Cameron has come despite Skerritt unveiling an impressive 10-point plan which inculcates the necessary ingredients for hauling the sport from its decimated state, as Lloyd, the most successful captain of the Regional team, sees it.
So while Skerritt wants to reintroduce a properly managed Cricket West Indies (CWI) academy, pour money into grassroots programmes, rehab a selection method to eliminate the still existing quota system of players representing the interests of territorial decision-making board members, and implement a term limit on the presidency, Cameron has nothing much more to offer than harp about introducing a professional league, that is far from professional, given the poor performances by teams in all departments, every year.
And with added political shenanigans to colour most decisions made about that competition and almost every CWI appointment expected, he should have been a lowly underdog.
If after six years as president, and six prior in a vice presidential position, Cameron can only come up with limited achievements while the teams he oversees continue to languish at the near bottom of the world rankings, it says a lot about his struggles leading a vital organization
But the GCB prefers a leader who is only such in title, as was most painfully exemplified during West Indies’ unprecedented abandonment of the India tour there in 2014.
Cameron made zero attempt to placate the aggrieved players as the anger boiled and rumblings intensified of a pullout, despite being at the said location.
He wages war instead of peace when in conflict with anyone, costing the organization more money and hurt feelings in the process, than any board president prior.
Thus, is it any surprise Cameron cannot even influence sponsorship for the said Caribbean Professional League (CPL) and the 50 overs series, the board’s two marquee competitions?
In the interviews he was forced into, to combat Skerritt’s relentless campaigning forays via regional media, the incumbent president was reduced to defending the reckless sacking of coach Phil Simmons, that might cost the board another half million US dollars, on top of the alleged US$300,000, the other surprising dismissal of Ottis Gibson bled the coffers.
In a last ditch effort to counter the embarrassment of riches garnered by the campaign of Skerritt and his running mate for vice president Kishore Swallow, Sanasie jumped into the picture by introducing ex Windian Shiv Chanderpaul to bat for Cameron.
Shiv as we all know, was as successful as they come with the bat in all competition formats. But there is also no doubting he is now playing a role of GCB employee, given his recent hiring as assistant coach of Guyana Jaguars.
The undecided Jamaica Cricket Association which is the lone territory not yet to publicly declare its support for either candidate, should disregard this ploy and give Skerritt its full support, tossing insularity aside, regardless of Cameron’s Jamaican nationality.
Trinidad and Tobago and the Leeward Islands have had enough of Cameron and company, by endorsing Skerritt.
Everyone else from the electorate should be fed up as well.
