Turmoil has once again surfaced in local cricket with the GCB questioning a financial report from the Berbice board and replacing its Head Hilbert Foster on the CWI board with Essequibian Deleep Singh.
Releases from the GCB and the Berbice board follow:
(Guyana Cricket Board release) The Executive Committee of the Guyana Cricket Board on Saturday, March 26, 2022 elected Mr. Deleep Singh, President of the Essequibo Cricket Board to replace Mr. Hilbert Foster as its new Director to Cricket West Indies.
Mr. Singh who hails from Charity is a popular and respected businessman who previously served as President of the Essequibo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as Chairman of the Board of Governors of the Essequibo Technical Institute and as Vice-President of the Guyana Coconut Growers Association.
Mr. Singh’s impressive profile includes serving in prominent positions in religious educational and social organizations including the Sanatan Dharm Par Upkaaric Sabha, Shri Sookdeojie Ashram, Charity Development Committee and Guyana School of Agriculture where earlier as a student he earned a diploma with distinction. A graduate of the Lousianna State University (USA), Mr. Singh is presently the proprietor of WD’S hotel & Mall at Charity. In addition, he is a large scale coconut, cattle and rice farmer as well as a licensed gold miner.
On the cricket front Mr. Singh played club cricket in Essequibo for a numbers of years and in fact founded and was chairman of both the Enterprise Cricket Club in Pomeroon and also Pomeroon Cricket Committee. From 2002 to 2004, he served as Vice-President of the Essequibo Cricket Board and now as the incumbent President of that Board, he is automatically an Executive Member of the Guyana Cricket Board.
Mr. Singh’s election to the position of CWI Director is in keeping with a traditional practice that seeks to alternate director selection. He is the first Essequibian to hold this prestigious position since Mr. Beni Sankar some twenty-five years ago.
An immensely popular personality, Mr. Deleep Singh gave the assurance that the confidence placed in him would propel him to work diligently and responsibly in the interest of Guyana and West Indies cricket. He pledged to discharge his duties in a professional manner and to ensure that Guyana is meaningfully represented at the regional level.
The amendment to facilitate the alternating of directors was approved at a Special General Meeting of the Guyana Cricket Board held on March 06, 2022. This meeting was convened for two specific purposes: proposed amendments to the constitution and the submission and ratification of Audited Financial reports of the County Boards.
The report from the Berbice Cricket Board, however, created much debate as the figures presented could not stand up to scrutiny. The meeting decided that in the interest of transparency and accountability and in keeping with the Guyana Cricket Administration Act 2014 that the financial report of the Berbice Cricket Board be subjected to a forensic audit.
This decision was taken despite the explanations given by the Berbice Cricket Board President, Hilbert Foster and which were deemed unacceptable. The Berbice Cricket Board subsequently wrote the Guyana Cricket Board requesting a withdrawal of their audited financial report. This matter which has caused much disquiet will be carefully monitored by the GCB.
(Berbice Cricket Board release) The Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) has noted with shock and disgust a a press release from the Guyana Cricket Board which has left us totally speechless. The BCB has kept it silence over the last few months despite being targeted by elements in the Board since the recent elections in Essequibo.
Our support is no longer wanted or needed and it seems like our success story is a source of jealousy for some. The BCB has submitted audited financial statement for 2018, 2019 and 2020 by a highly respected auditor and we have received full clearance in all three reports.
The 2020 audited report had one page of correction which concern the incorrect names of our executives for the period under review. The auditor has since corrected the mistake. At the last Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) meeting, our Treasurer was unable to answer a question about a $30,000.00 receivable because he did not have the necessary information on hand. The simple answer is that the contractor for the repair of our office had not completed the work at the time of the report been submitted. The work was done shortly after the start of our new financial year.
The GCB executives today met for its monthly meeting and no discussion about the financial statement took place and no one was authorized to issue a press statement. What is remarkable about all of this , is a statement that was made in the GCB chat group that stated that persons would be unceremonial removed or would resign in shame.
The financial committee of the GCB has to date failed to meet to accept our report but the board in its wisdom has seem it fit to issue a libellous statement. Both the Treasurer and his Assistant were unaware of the statement along with the two vice presidents of the board and a few other executives. Over the last few months, all suggestions from us has been rejected and all we hear is the word- Noted. The BCB would also like to state that our President never attempted to explain anything about the statements as that was done by our Treasurer Dr Cecil Beharry and his deputy Rovin Bahadur.
The BCB is therefore totally shocked by this statement along with the press release since this discussion took place over three weeks ago. We are left to wonder why this unauthorized press release was issued on the same day that a senior executive of the GCB from Demerara had informed the executives that he would inform the media about the happenings within the board.
The BCB for over twelve years had led the fight for return to normalcy to Guyana cricket and it pains that the situation has gotten worse. We wishes to reassure the Guyanese cricketing public that we are committed to the development of the game across our beloved country and while we can say much more, in the interest of unity, we would hold our peace.
BCB President Hilbert Foster would like to express his thanks to the GCB for the chance to serve as a Director of the CWI for one year and wishes Mr Duleep Singh all the best in his new position.
