The ECCB should commit to working with others to develop cricket in Demerara

Dear Editor,

The DCB wishes to record its extreme disgust at the disrespectful attitude of the East Coast cricket administration towards its cricketers and the cricket structure. The DCB urges this and any other cricket board to desist from playing politics with the lives and careers of our youths. The DCB has always made every effort to have representative teams selected to represent our county and country and has had to bypass the ECCB several times whenever they have refused to select a representative team from their area. The ECCB can only blame itself if they feel that the best team was not selected from their area or some talented youngsters were overlooked or discriminated against. If the DCB had totally ignored that area, no one from there would have been selected, so the ECCB should not blame others for their own delinquencies. Why complain after not doing their job?

The DCB was represented at the meeting on Monday (it was postponed because only four clubs turned up) by its President, one Vice President, its Competitions Committee Chairman and its Administrator and not two persons as reported by the ECCB. The DCB has since received complaints from other East Coast clubs that the notice period for our scheduled meeting was too short and that some of the clubs were threatened by members of the ECCB. Please be advised that the DCB is committed to ensuring that cricket is administered properly in all of its areas and will take whatever steps that it considers necessary to have same done.

The DCB is prepared to assist clubs on the East Coast of Demerara and any other area in Demerara that are serious about developing their structure and cricketers. Those who are interested can contact our Administrator at 227-7130 and register their interest. We will continue to engage those persons and clubs to ensure that another generation is not lost because the powers on the East Coast decide not to play any cricket. All clubs in this sub-association are invited to participate in our competitions with assistance from the DCB. They should not let a few on the ECCB speak for them and their kids.

The DCB wishes to advise that the Minister of Sport, Dr Frank Anthony, has duly recognized the administrations of both the DCB and the GCB and has supported the work of these two administrations despite the careless actions of a few disgruntled persons. The DCB calls on the ECCB to immediately halt its delinquency and inactivity and sincerely commit itself to working together for us to develop cricket in the County of Demerara. The cricket controversy is being addressed in the court of law and whichever grouping comes out victorious, then so be it. In the meanwhile, cricket should not suffer. Let us work together for the development of our youths and stop playing politics with the game of cricket and the politicians on both sides of the divide. The public has had enough of this!

Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)