Better pitches, not debt should be GCB’s priority

Much has been said in the aftermath of  Guyana’s unsuccessful debut campaign in the Airtel Champions League cricket competition, and among the least impressive was the disclosure made by Guyana Cricket Board secretary  Anand  Sanasie about use of money earned from its participation.

He  listed repayment of debt at the  top of the Board’s priorities, raising eyebrows in the process when the upgrading of playing facilities should’ve  been the first words out of his mouth.

Surely, the GCB  should not be owing a mountain of money out there, to the extent where its secretary is coming  over  like a Government minister.

Sanasie dwelled  on  expenses created  for the team’s preparation for  the Champions League, on its return home,  but  he should’ve taken a number of factors into consideration before sounding like the latest victim of  “foot in  mouth” disease.

As far as everyone knows, the team’s encampment period was not  more than four weeks long, and the Board did not employ a team of support staff as huge and  as expensive as that of the England team.

Throughout its history the GCB has never employed a national team  coach, and there is no indication Rabindranauth Seeram is the first.   Roger Harper assisted for a few days, as was a physical trainer, and even if they were  paid, it could not be a “King’s Ransom”. In total the team’s support staff amounted to three who it is understood would’ve been remunerated as team members.

Thus, the expenses should  not run into the mighty millions as the public is being led to believe even if the place of  accommodation  was  the Princess Hotel.  And when it is taken into account that  the hotel’s management had given the Board reduced rates, as was reported in the media,  Sanasie sounded more like a budding politician than cricket administrator.   He ought to have been reminded that the GCB only recently had a new multi-million-dollar hostel built on the outskirts of Georgetown,  and  should’ve been more careful in his declaration because it makes no sense for the GCB  spending money on accommodation, after investing heavily in facilities  for the same purpose.
Next, add the fact that the entire encampment was done in Guyana with none in South Africa to acclimatize the players to the alien conditions there, so no foreign expenses could’ve boosted the bill.

Also the Board would’ve earned a tidy sum from the team’s appearance fee, and  match fees in South Africa,  on top of  the  20 million-dollar sponsorship deal from the Government and not forgetting the two sold out practice games it staged against Trinidad and Tobago at the National Stadium.

So debt should hardly be the major issue here, as let’s not forget the GCB does not spend money to compete in any of the West Indies Cricket Board’s competitions.

Instead, the public should be hearing about the GCB’s intention to upgrade the pitches at Guyana’s major playing facilities  with its latest windfall,  to fix  the slow, batting paradises and bowling graveyards, that have steadily  diminished the standard of  the country’s players.

By now Sanasie, president Chetram Singh and company should’ve been working out plans to negotiate with the  stakeholders of the National Stadium, Albion Sports Club ground, the GCC ground, Blairmont ground  and Everest, to  re-lay those pitches with surfaces that provide enough pace and bounce, to meet acceptable standards for player-improvement.

Apart from breeding batsmen with leaden footwork and  limited skill in handling rising deliveries, while killing the enthusiasm of fast bowlers,  the placid Guyana pitches have repeatedly become the butt of criticism in the region and abroad for the underdevelopment of its players.

An important undertaking as such  requires specialists  with proven ability, which it is doubtful can be had locally.   There is Chris Chappell, based in Canada who is highly experienced and trained in pitch building and of course  ICC expert Andy Atkinson who the GCB  knows well, can be called on for advice.

Sanasie and his crew who travelled with the team to South Africa, should be alerted  by now to the importance the  world’s top cricket countries place on proper pitches, from their experiences there.

They ought to know that the Wanderers strip was only recently re-laid after it yielded more than 800 runs in a single  50 overs a side ODI game.
An now that Guyana  stands to be more involved in international competition, with the creation of the Champions League,  the GCB has a greater responsibility to properly equip its players to cope in better developed foreign lands.
And there is no better area to start with than our facilities, namely pitches.
One needs not be reminded of the cliche “failure to prepare is to prepare for failure”
Thus, any future lamentations and fast, bouncy pitches affecting Guyanese players overseas will be tossed back in the faces of the perpetrators.