Jewan Persaud, manager of the East Coast Jaguars Cricket Team which participated in the current Pepsi/Carib Beer Twenty20 competition has written the West Indies Cricket Board over the alleged “incorrect and unfair practice of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
According to Persaud, his team was grouped with the Georgetown Pit Bulls and the East Bank Pirates.
The Georgetown Pit Bulls team won both of their matches but the match between east Bank Pirates and the East Coast Jaguars was not played. According to Persaud, the match was not played because of a decision taken by Anand Sanasie, Secretary of the GCB and Tournament Organiser, Robin Singh, who ruled that “conditions were unsuitable for play.”According to Persaud while it was generally felt that a 15-overs-a-side match could easily have been played despite the mildly damp conditions, the umpires were “instructed by both gentlemen to call off play.”
Persaud claimed that the Tournament Organiser subsequently told him that contact would be made with respect to the next round of matches but he received little feedback despite calls to the GCB office and the Tournament Organiser’s mobile phone.
According to Persaud it was subsequently learnt through the media that the East Bank Pirates team had advanced to the next round.
Persaud said when he questioned the Tournament Organiser about the criteria used he said he was told that it was a “technicality” and that he (the Tournament Organiser) would get back to him (Persaud).
Persaud said to date he has been unable to get an explanation as to why his team which he claimed had a superior net run rate had been unable to advance to the next round.
He feels that his team has been discriminated against.Persaud said he has since learnt that the East Coast Jaguars team has been disqualified for forfeiting the match against the East Bank Pirates.
Yesterday, Tournament Organiser Robin Singh said that the East Coast Jaguars’ net run rate was a non issue in determining qualification for the competition adding that the team had failed to present itself and a team list as required at the scheduled commencement of the game.Singh added that the manager, coach and some players were late as half an hour after the scheduled starting time.
He also pointed out that the coach was not present at any official meeting or the preliminary games while the team manager is yet to be identified to the tournament organizers.
Singh admitted that both games were called off but said this decision was taken by the umpires present and not by the tournament officials.Singh said he has not been contacted by Persaud but by a Narvan Singh who was not the team’s manager and with whom he was unwilling to discuss matters pertaining to the competition.
He said the East Coast team had been penalised for indiscipline.
“I contacted the Demerara Cricket Board and informed them of my decision to penalize the indiscipline of the East Coast squad. They affirmed the need to stamp out the malaise and indicated they would also take disciplinary action at a further date,” Singh wrote.
“The fact that the East Coast Cricket Board refused to participate in this competition further complicated the cohesion and communication among the East Coast Squad,” Singh added.“The Carib Beer/Pepsi competition is a national competition with clearly stated aims, there remains no place for indiscipline or cheap politicking and indeed it will not be tolerated. Strict adherence to the rules of the competition needs to be followed for the proper development of a professional league,” Singh wrote.
