Acting chairman of selectors of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and national coach Albert Smith has responded to claims of irregularity in the selection process of the Guyana Cricket Board.

Albert Smith

That claim was made by president of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) Bissoondial Singh over the players selected to participate in the inaugural President’s Cup three-day competition.

According to Singh the chairman of selectors of the Demerara Cricket Board was not consulted during the selection process to arrive at the players who are participating in the tournament.

Singh had made those claims in a letter addressed to Stabroek Sport and published on Saturday last.
He charged that the irregularities had led to the non-selection of the Demerara wicketkeeper Joseph Perry, amongst others.

In reply, Smith stated that the chairmen of selectors for all three counties (Demerara, Berbice and Essequibo) were invited to a meeting to select the 42 players for the competition on the advice of GCB president Chetram Singh.

The full content of Smith’s response reads:
“I cannot, in good conscience, ignore the comments made by Mr. Bissoondial Singh, President of the Demerara Cricket Board in the Guyana Times of October 19 and an article by Calvin Roberts in last Saturday’s Stabroek News expressing the DCB’s dissatisfaction with the way the 42 players were selected to participate in the President’s Cup competition.

“According to the DCB, `our senior selector was not invited to the meeting that purportedly selected the 42 players nor was he given the opportunity to have any input in the naming of these players. This in effect denied the Demerara Cricket Board its legitimate right to participate democratically in the process of selecting these players.’”

Smith said the statement was unfortunate and lacked honesty.

“The facts are that on October 3, 2008 at the Providence Stadium, I was advised by the president of the Guyana Cricket Board, in the presence of Mr. Lennox Hunte, to inform all the Counties Chairmen of Selectors of a meeting to select the forty two (42) players for the competition.

“There was clearly no attempt to deny the DCB its legitimate right and the senior selector from the county was indeed invited to participate in the selection process.

“It seems as if problems internal to the DCB, which Mr. Singh would be aware of, prevented that board’s effective participation.

“I have had the privilege of being in the company of Mr. Bissoondial Singh on more than one occasion.  My impression of him was that he is a professional man.  But he surprised me by not getting the facts before going to the press.  It causes me to wonder whether he is concerned more with narrower interests than with the wider development of the national game.

“I have been associated in several ways with this great game and have given much of my time and energy trying to promote cricket and the welfare of young cricketers.

“It worries me that there are persons, too impatient to take over its administration, who pretend to have an interest, but who would prefer to cause embarrassment through mis-information, even if it means the loss of the public’s confidence.

“The campaign for high office in Guyana’s cricket has started.  We can expect more of the cricketing politics.”