Dear Editor,
It was with deep disgust that I read a letter on August 16 in SN, under the headline ‘Upper Corentyne Cricket Association has been unable to find out the mandate of the IMC.‘ The Berbice Cricket Board would like to inform the general public that there is no functioning Upper Corentyne Cricket Association and Mr Thakur should avoiding claiming to represent such a body.
Several years ago, the Berbice Cricket Board was informed by Mr Ovid Williams of the Scottsburg United Cricket Club that an interim body had been formed to administer cricket in the Upper Corentyne area and a group of Berbice Cricket Board executives led by President Keith Foster on the same day met the group in Skeldon. The delegation which included the Treasurer Anil Beharry recognised that the eight member group did not reflect the membership of the almost 35 clubs of the Upper Corentyne area, and we later learnt via the clubs that they were never consulted or invited to a meeting. The group seemed to have been handpicked by Mr Thakur and most of them are not associated with any properly organised cricket clubs. The Berbice Cricket Board executives advised the group to arrange a general meeting with representatives of each club in the area to select a proper Interim Committee. We were to be advised on the date for the meeting so that we could be present, but sadly to date we have not been informed. Before leaving, the Berbice Cricket Board executives pledged their support for the continued development of cricket in the Upper Corentyne area.
Despite these facts, Mr Thakur continues to send letters to the media claiming to represent the Upper Corentyne area. What is strange is that this so-called cricket association which he claims to head has never organised a cricket competition at any level, has never held a coaching programme, and has never done anything to develop the game in the area. Teams in the Upper Corentyne have in the past and will continue to benefit from the Berbice Cricket Board‘s massive developmental programmes, including cricket tournaments at the Under-13, Under-15, Under-17, Under-19, Under-21, Second Division, Intermediate, First Division and Female levels. Upper Corentyne as a team takes part in our inter-zone tournaments at the Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19 levels, and has done well. Cricket clubs in the area have benefited from the Berbice Cricket Board in the form of donation of cricket balls, cricket gear and other items, along with the hosting of coaching clinics, etc. Educational materials on cricket were also provided while assistance was given to the Skeldon Cricket Academy.
Players like Mark Lionel, Anthony Bramble, Melanie Henry, Junior Blair, Trevor Thomas, Parmanand Narine, V Gooniah, Clinton Pestano, Christopher Jaundoo and Gary Phillips are all outstanding talents that Upper Corentyne can be proud of over the last few years. Only last week two Upper Corentyne players were awarded for outstanding performances at our Annual Cricket Academy. Can Mr Thakur for information purposes please inform the general public of the following?
a) Who are the members of his group and which club do they represent?
b) What cricket tournaments has his group organised for teams in the area?
c) What developmental programmes did the group undertake for Upper Corentyne?
d) What are its current programmes and plans for the future?
d) How many sponsors have the groups been able to attract for cricket in the area?
e) When last was a meeting held with the clubs in the area?
The Berbice Cricket Board in response to Mr Thakur’s allegation in his letter that we provided the invitation list to the Clive Lloyd Interim Management Committee for its Berbice meeting would like to state quite clearly that we did not. Members of the public were invited via advertisements on all the three major television stations in Berbice, and press releases in the daily newspapers. The meeting was well attended by over one hundred cricket lovers, including at least a dozen from the Upper Corentyne area. The Berbice Cricket Board is also very disappointed that this highly educated person can find problems with us holding meetings with the Upper Corentyne Chamber of Commerce. The Berbice Cricket Board strongly believes in working with every stakeholder to develop Berbice cricket and our talks with all the Chambers of Commerce in Berbice have started to bear fruit. The highly successful Independence Day T20 Cup along with a planned Berbice-wide school tournament are some of the fruits of these discussions, and the Berbice Cricket Board is proud to be associated with the chambers. Is it a crime to seek to cement relations in an effort to develop sports?
Editor, we would be very grateful if Mr Thakur could inform us of the several public criticisms of Berbice cricket that all is not well. Berbice cricket is thriving and it is being done in an open and transparent manner. Every one of our programmes/activities receives media coverage, our Annual Magazine informs the general public of our work, and also we have our financial statements for everyone to review. For 2012, the Berbice Cricket Board has already hosted a total of twenty-one press conferences to inform the general public of our activities, and the Berbice cricketing public is the best informed in the Caribbean.
The Berbice Cricket Board is currently waiting on the weather to start its historic hosting of over twenty-two cricket tournaments at all levels including several for teams in the Upper Corentyne alone. Unlike Mr Thakur’s unproductive cricket group, the Berbice Cricket Board for 2012 alone has undertaken a record-breaking 135 programmes/activities when the target was 75. We are now aiming to complete 200 by the end of the year. Among the activities completed so far are the Annual Magazine, Awards Ceremony, Cricket Academy, Castrol Coaching Programme, GT&T Balls Project, assistance to over 50 clubs, educational scheme, publication of cricket posters, numerous cricket clinics, elite training programme, social skills seminar and educational competitions for schools, among numerous others. That, Editor, is progress never seen in any part of Guyana’s cricket, and people like Rishee Thakur cannot deny it. For the last five years, close to 400 activities have been successfully completed along with numerous cricket tournaments.
In closing, I would like to share an incident that happened at our last Ordinary General Meeting in August 2011. Mr Thakur turned up alone, claiming to represent the Upper Corentyne. He was unable to bring the three remaining delegates that the area is entitled to. Every question asked by Mr Thakur was answered by the executives of the Berbice Cricket Board but the gentleman excused himself half way through the meeting when he recognized that he would be subjected to similar questions about his group. His excuse before leaving was that he had important things to do – attend a political meeting. Cricket administration in Berbice is currently benefiting from dedicated and honest leadership and the records are there for everyone to see. How in god’s name can everything not be well, when over the last five years Narsingh Deonarine, Assad Fudadin, Royston Crandon, Shemaine Campbelle, Erva Giddings, Tremayne Smartt, Keon Joseph, Subrina Munroe, Sewnarine Chattergoon, Brendon Bess, Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Jonathan Foo have all represented the West Indies at some level? How can things not being right when cricket legend Clive Lloyd can describe Berbice cricket as a model for others to follow, and our Berbice teams won cricket tournaments against others with world-rated cricketers? Cricketing greats like Basil Butcher have all praised the outstanding work of the Berbice Cricket Board over the last few years. Can Mr Thakur, President of the so called Upper Corentyne Cricket Association inform the nation why no one in the area can identify him with cricket in Upper Corentyne and any of his contributions? The time has come for him to put up or shut up.
Yours faithfully,
Angela Haniff
Secretary
Berbice Cricket Board
