Chief Executive Officer of Cricket West Indies, Johnny Grave, said yesterday that any cricket played in Guyana should have the approval or no objection from the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
Grave made the comments with respect to the organisers of the Big Man Cricket tournament stating that their organization does not need the GCB’s approval to host its Over-45 tournament which is set to commence today.
When asked specifically of CWI’s position on the tournament, Grave explained, “Our position is that all cricket played in Guyana should have either official approval or at least a written no objection from the GCB.”
He added, “The GCB provides CWI with a list of all of their leagues, tournaments and competitions as part of our regulations for approval of cricket in the West Indies.
“CWI would not approve any match or event that has not received the approval or endorsement of the local territorial board.”
However, Chairman of the BMC, Raj Singh, said that a five-page legal opinion was sent to the CWI and the GCB.
Singh said only CWI acknowledged receipt, adding that there was no official response from the territorial board.
He said that the body did not seek approval but sought the blessings of the board.
Singh said yesterday that their attorneys went through every single correspondence from last year October up until December, 2020 and found that the GCB did not have authority over that aspect of cricket.
“If you go through the sections of the constitution, the opinion said the GCB has no power to grant or not grant any approval for any cricket which they are not administering. Our tournament is an over-45 tournament which is not a form or class of cricket that is being administered by the ICC [International Cricket Council] and ultimately their members…so for that reason they don’t have the authority,”
In documents seen by this publication, GCB had refused to give permission for the tournament on December 28, 2020 citing the tournament would infringe upon GCB’s approved events while in another letter to a director of BMC dated November 2, 2020 the body expressly stated that all forms and format of cricket in Guyana is regulated by the Guyana Cricket Board.
Grave, when asked if GCB’s expressed non-approval would also mean a CWI non-approval he responded, “We haven’t been asked to approve the event and we haven’t endorsed the tournament. CWI would not approve any match or event that has not received the approval or endorsement of the local territorial board.”
