Dear Editor,
There seem to be clear chinks in the armour of the Berbice Cricket Board, and its officials are taking all the necessary PR steps to avoid any scandal. God knows cricket in this country does not need another damning report from another county board, but if indeed there are problems, they should be confronted and dealt with professionally and efficiently.
This observation has been made following the recent public announcement of Mr Hilbert Foster’s resignation as the PRO of that Board. He cited, specifically, the reason for his resignation as the non-selection of an Under 19 player, Loyydel Lewis, who hails from his club, Rose Hall Sports Club. He also took the opportunity to make a swipe at his Board and against some officials who he felt were using the game for personal gain and had their own agenda. Mr Foster was obviously referring to his county’s selectors and/or other officials of the Board who exercised influence over these selectors, as he was clearly upset since his clubmate was not selected to represent Berbice in the GTM under 19 competition. This player was subsequently selected and this may be one of the reasons that he withdrew his resignation. Mr Foster needs to be candid in his statements as these allegations were used in the context of his disgruntlement with the Berbice Board’s selectors and officials. His explanation after his resignation was purportedly rejected claimed that he was referring to cricket officials in general and not the Berbice Board since his brother was heading that Board.
This is utter nonsense. I should remind Mr Foster that the Berbice Board also has cricket officials and any sane-thinking person would have to obviously include that Board in such a general statement. His statements seem to have been made in anger at the non-selection of his clubmate and his comments thereafter can and should only be applied to his county board.
Was his volte face at the intervention of his brother, Keith Foster, who is the President of that Board and did not want to be the subject of ridicule and embarrassment for his stewardship at the head of that county board? Several supposedly knowledgeable persons in the cricketing fraternity and the media have always placed the Berbice Board on a pedestal in terms of its administration, which they feel has been translated to success on the field of play. That may or may not be true. We witnessed Demerara, as defending champions, whipping Berbice in the GTM 3 day under 19 tournament again this year. What conclusions can we draw from this result? Demerara does not have a functioning Board presently. Berbice is albeit the top county board in the country. There are many other factors that affect players’ performances such as determination, ability, commitment, will to succeed, cohesion, team leadership, and obviously talent. All play a major role in the success of any team. One inescapable conclusion is that the state of cricket in Guyana is at an unprecedentedly low level and needs immediate remedial work and conscientious administrators who would bring something to the table, rather than being involved for their personal gain.
The Berbice Board needs some more scrutiny and the new GCB President needs to pay closer attention to all of its subordinate Boards and ensure that they are managed efficiently. There is a dire need to wipe the slate clean with some of the deadweights that seem to exist totally at the Boards’ expense.
Yours faithfully,
Intakhab Sankar
