Government should remove the impediments to elections for the cricket boards

Dear Editor, In 2011 former Chief Justice (ag) Ian Chang in his ruling on the Angela Haniff v GCB application for an injunction stated that the government through its Ministry/Minister of Sport should install an Interim Management Committee (IMC) as a short-term measure, and legislation as the long-term remedy for the escalating cricket crisis. This effectively placed the responsibility on the “government” to resolve the lawlessness, illegality and corruption that had taken over the very essence of our cricket.

Sad to say that to date there has been no improvement. Both governments, the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC, must share collective responsibility for the current shambolic state of our cricket. Although the PPP/C government through its Minister of Sport established the IMC and enacted the law consistent with the former CJ’s recommendation, the process took too long, principally because of the evident ambivalence within that party. For while some party leaders were publicly acknowledging that the GCB officials were operating illegally, others seemed more disposed to accommodate the ‘illegality’ especially former Director of Sport Neil Kumar who publicly gave “unflinching support” to that illegal board.

The GCB executive then and even now was composed of an all-Indian cast that is fearful of facing any democratic process that involves free and fair elections. Guyana is a multi-ethnic country and it is inconceivable if not highly improbable that in any transparent cricket electoral process all executive members elected could be of one particular race.

The APNU+AFC government while in opposition remained relatively quiet during the turbulent years 2009-2014 but participated meaningfully in the parliamentary process through the Cricket Select Committee in refining the draft bill presented by the PPP/C administration into a readily acceptable document.

The inclusion of the Ombudsman in the new Act was important to ensure transparency in the voting process at elections of the various boards, along with the inclusion of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (Linden) which remains totally ostracized from participating in any cricket activity to date.

It is very instructive to note that Dr Rupert Roopnaraine in his very eloquent presentation to the National Assembly on the merits of the Cricket Administration Bill 2012 stated:1. “The very word ‘cricket’ has become a synonym for all that is true and honest. To say ‘that is not cricket’ implies something underhand, something not in keeping with the best ideals”.

2. “For now, suffice it is to say that the crisis of Guyanese and West Indian cricket is not unconnected with a crisis in cricket administration. In fact, recent events have shown that the crisis reaches right up to the ICC”.

3. “The Bill before us today, I believe, is an attempt, long delayed and much deferred, to grapple with our own local situation. It is my hope that what we are doing in relation to the Cricket Administration Bill will reach into the other territories where there is much to be done in relation to cricket administration”.

4. “We can neither afford to luxuriate in the nostalgia of glories past nor wring our hands as we bemoan the current decline”.

5. “What then are the key elements of the Bill? The Hon Minister [Dr Frank Anthony] has outlined some of them. One, the issue of elections to the executive of the GCB; this is at the heart of the issue”.

To date even though the political guard has changed and the APNU+AFC coalition is now the government and Dr Roopnaraine is Minister of Sport, cricket is still suffering. The GCB twelve- member executive is still an all-Indian cast and its four directors at WICB are all Indian. This is a totally unacceptable situation where there have been no elections held and where the illegal GCB executive members have sought and served injunction after injunction to prevent any further elections, notwithstanding Dr Roopnaraine’s statement that “elections of the GCB are at the heart of the issue”. And despite meetings with Dr Roopnaraine, the Attorney General, the Minister of State, the Director of Sport, the National Sports Council and President Granger himself, nothing has been done. Instead, after sixteen months of the APNU+AFC government the illegal cricket regime is still being allowed to operate with impunity whilst desecrating our cricket and cricketers in the process. Dr Roopnaraine had lamented in his address that “who could have imagined that the current West Indies team would not include a single Guyanese”. This is due to the incompetence of the current leaders of our cricket administration who seem to be inextricably intertwined with both the previous and the present governments. For some time now the GCB has been destroying our cricket by victimizing players, associations and boards and also through their inability to transition our talented players from the local to the international level.

The boards/areas with the competent personnel to improve our cricket all round will undoubtedly emerge after the process of free and fair elections are implemented according to the law, which this same group claims they recognise. The successful development of our cricket cannot be achieved within the present illegal framework where there is no cohesion or fusing together of the best resources available. Development could best be achieved if there is a structured and well thought-out programme with all involved. It must include the re-establishment of our school cricket, the strengthening of the club structure and the organizing of carefully-designed competitions at the association and board levels, along with support for coaching, academy, umpiring, scoring, pitch and ground (venue) upgrading programmes.

The scrapping of the Inter-County Tournament is clear case of short-sightedness, and while it is certainly a good idea for players to play as much cricket as possible, the three-day Premier League has been badly implemented and will be counter-productive without the requisite stated pillars of support, the foundation upon which we can build a sustainable cricket development programme.

The current government campaigned