Some members of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) set up by the Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, to take over the governance and administration of cricket are questioning the latest development whereby a national U-17 team currently preparing to participate in the upcoming West Indies Cricket Board’s (WICB) Regional tournament has been encamped.
It was reported in another section of the media that the national U-17 team which is expected to leave for Trinidad and Tobago on Saturday, was encamped at the Chetram Singh Centre of Excellence for six days beginning last Friday.
One of the IMC members told Stabroek Sport yesterday that the move seemed a deliberate attempt by persons to flout the order of the Court.
“I think this is a deliberate attempt by the injuncted body to circumvent the Court Order and still run cricket in this country,” one cricket official told Stabroek Sport yesterday.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall had been granted an injunction earlier this year which restrained the executives of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) the governing body for cricket in Guyana, from functioning.
Manager of the U-17 team, former GCB vice president Alvin Johnson had said he received instructions for the encampment from former GCB administrator Savitri Persaud.
“I was informed by Savitri Persaud three days prior to June 21 that the regional under-17 tournament will be played next month and as such the team should begin their encampment on Friday (last Friday), so based on Savitri’s advice I informed the players and coach that the encampment will starts on Friday,” the Guyana Times quoted Johnson as saying.
Persaud, the newspaper reported on yesterday, said she knew nothing of the encampment.
“I know nothing about that; I am not aware; I don’t know what you are talking about,” the newspaper quoted Persaud as saying.
The IMC members said the issue warranted some sort of investigation to determine not only who organized the camp but whether the team was properly prepared and trained and was in the right frame of mind to compete at such a tournament.
They also voiced concerns over the fact that young, school aged children were leaving this country yet no one seemed to be responsible for their welfare.
“I think the parents should be concerned at this point,” said one member of the IMC.
He added:“I also think that the Human Services ministry should start asking questions because nobody seems to be responsible for these children and there is a West Indies U-15 tournament coming up after this, and those (chosen) will be even smaller children,” he stated.
One of the officials with knowledge of the workings of the WICB/GCB in such matters told Stabroek Sport last evening that …”The entire business is run by the West Indies Board through the Guyana Board and the administrator would take control of that. Everything is normally run by the administrator,” he said.
On the subject of the payment for tickets etc., the official said…”Normally the West Indies Board would do that and all the players need to do is to present their passports at the airport.”
The situation is a complex one made more so by the fact that the WICB refuses to accept Guyana teams submitted by the IMC. The WICB will only allow teams submitted by the GCB which they recognize as the rightful body to administrate cricket in Guyana.
On the other hand because of the injunction the GCB executive cannot function which leaves the entire situation in a bit of a muddle.
The IMC members suggested that the only other practical solution is that Guyana withdraws from participating in regional tournaments until the entire mess is sorted out.
“It will be a short period of time where Guyana’s cricket will suffer but it will also put pressure on the region, CARICOM, to have the matter sorted out. All stakeholders in West Indies cricket will have to come together to help resolve what is turning out to a real crisis in Guyana’s cricket,” they argued.
“Guyana is an integral part of West Indies cricket and the rest of the region must come to our assistance,” it’s as simple as that,” they stated.
The IMC members said that the body has written the Ministry of Sport to find out how this latest development occurred.
Minister of Sport Dr. Frank Anthony is reportedly out of the country but Permanent Secretary within the ministry Alfred King told the Guyana Times that while his ministry was unaware of the encampment, the ministry will support the team.
