- Johnson, Panday named as candidates
Mum’s the word from Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) president Chetram Singh regarding any plans he may have to contest the presidency of the GCB which is due in the latter part of January.
Alvin Johnson
While unconfirmed reports state that Singh would be demitting office come next year, other reports indicate that this may not be the case. According to information this hinges on the election of office bearers for the three county boards namely the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), Essequibo Cricket Board (ECB) and the Berbice Cricket Board of Control (BCBC).
Speaking briefly to Stabroek Sport the incumbent Singh said yesterday that he was still undecided. Singh, who has been at the helm of the GCB for almost 20 years, said that in the interest of cricket there are those who want him to continue until the International Cricket Council (ICC)20/20 Mini World Cup slated for the Caribbean in 2010. However, he said his re-election hinges on the respective county boards.
Chetram Singh
DCB President Bissoondial Singh said that his county elections are scheduled for January 24 at the Wales Community Centre at 3pm. As regard Singh returning to the helm of the GCB, Bissoondial Singh said the incumbent had to make clear whether or not he was seeking re-election. “The election of a presidential candidate should have the full backing of all three boards,” he said, adding that there are whispers that a number of candidates are interested in the post.
However, he said the DCB has not committed to backing any candidate and there are no plans to do so until the candidates are announced. “What I want to see though is the implementation of more technology on the local scene,” Bissoondial Singh said. “What I mean by this is that noting the country’s weather pattern, theoretical training can be enhanced during the rainy seasons of the year,” he added.
Bishwa Panday
Meanwhile, executives from the three county boards have told this newspaper that imminent elections should be a three–person race as long as the incumbent remains in the fray. The other candidates are GCB vice president Alvin Johnson and GCB Secretary Bishwa Panday. Stabroek Sport understands that Johnson has the backing of his board, the ECB as well as the DCB. It has also been confirmed that the BCBC is backing Panday. This newspaper also understands that Singh has the backing of Director of Sports Neil Kumar.
Kumar said he was satisfied with the functioning of the current GCB board, particularly during the hosting of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2007, and publicly threw his weight behind Singh at the GCB Annual Awards Ceremony held on Friday. Kumar is among those who’d like to see Singh at the helm when the 20/20 Mini World Cup is held.
It will be interesting to see if Johnson is elected if the same support and work achieved under Chetram will be fort coming.B. Panday in past years have been known by me to be a decent guy, what an interesting race.
What has Chetram Singh achieved in the past 20 years?
Is the state of cricket in Guyana & the caribbean any better because of Chetram Singh?
It is quite unfortunate that Mr. Singh who owns a betting establishment, has been the head cricket honcho in Guyana for all these years. With all the problems associated with betting and sports, you would think that those who elected or selected Mr. Singh would have known better or at the very least, Mr. Singh himself would have removed himself from a position of authority. You would remember that he did remove himself from contention for teh Presidency of the WICBC so why not GCB?
His style of management also leaves a lot to be desired. Several touring teams (from North America) complains about his attitude in planning and seemingly lack of concern for preparation of these teams visiting. When confronted about lack of field/pitch readiness, venue conflicting and scheduling problems, Mr. Singh often dismis their concerns with a shrug.
Lastly, what has happened to Guyana’s cricket over the last decade? Except for the 20/20 Stanford tournament, we have won nothing of late. Sarwan and others have often voiced their displeasure of the facilities, lack of preparedness and unprofessionalism by the cricket establishment in Guyana. It’s time to listen. It’s time for Singh to go!
Mohamed Z. Rahaman (Breado)