GCB says GoG acted outside of MOU

The Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday said the Government of Guyana (GoG) had acted outside a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) drafted by lawyers representing the GoG, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the (GCB) in arriving at several decisions including the naming of the Cricket Ombudsman.

In a press briefing held yesterday immediately after the GCB’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) Members Pavilion, the GCB accused the GoG of acting outside the Memorandum of Understanding which was drafted in July last year following talks by WICB President Dave Cameron with the GoG, the GCB, the parliamentary oppositions and cricket stakeholders.

According to secretary of the GCB Anand Sanasie at yesterday’s press conference the WICB was dissatisfied with some of the political input listed in the CAB adding that the annual financial report and the nomination of the Cricket Ombudsman were among the WICB’s major concerns.

The GoG wants a financial report for a calendar year, starting January 1 and ending December 31 each year. However, the GCB financial year begins in December and ends in November,” Sanasie told the media yesterday. Regarding the nomination of the Cricket Ombudsman, Sanasie said three names were supposed to be nominated and the three parties would have selected the Cricket Ombudsman from the listed names.

He, however, said that proved not to be the case as the GoG went ahead and named Dr. Winston McGowan without consulting with the WICB nor the GCB.

According to Sanasie this is the second occasion that the GoG has ignored a settlement between the two bodies and he made reference to the previous occasion when former WICB President Julian Hunte had to intervene in a similar issue.

“It is our wish that these issues come to an end by tomorrow but that also depends on the GoG,” declared Sanasie.