Dear Editor,
Even though the Georgetown to Rosignol public train service ended in 1972, we are witnessing a train crash very slowly in Guyana – the Guyana Cricket train. Ryan Ramdass, one of the thousands of passengers, is a useful yet common example of the majorly accepted notion among cricket enthusiasts in the Caribbean, ie Guyana has the most talented cricketers (especially batsmen) in the Caribbean and possibly the world.
The list of cricketers who are or were competitive with the best players who have ever played the game is impressive indeed: Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Rohan Kanhai, Clive Lloyd, Colin Croft, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Alvin Kallicharran, Carl Hooper, etc. This, I would respectfully submit, makes Guyana, on a per capita basis, one of the most successful countries in the world for producing exceptional cricketers.
Back to the emblematic Ryan Ramdass: among cricket circles in Guyana, Ramdass is discussed as if he were a feared giant– as one of the best opening batsmen that Guyana has produced over the last 20 years. After his three first class centuries in one season, including two back-to-back centuries against Barbados, Ramdass was selected for the West Indies team in 2005. Fate had it that he unfortunately sustained three consecutive injuries that left him sidelined for years – one shoulder, and both knees. Ramdass underwent surgery for all of those injuries and he has been 100% healthy for the last few years.
After his recovery, he refused to let his talent die so he continued training 1-3 times a day 5-6 days a week. With virtually no cricket tournaments playing in Guyana over the last few years, Ramdass was forced to play cricket in Canada, the USA and Trinidad. In his last season in Canada, he was the second highest runs scorer in their premier league which includes some of the best players, not only in Canada but other countries too. Last season, in Trinidad’s premier league he was the second highest runs scorer with three hundreds (a highest of 183 not out). After being left out of the Guyana team recently, he returned to Trinidad where he is currently playing in their premier league. In the last six innings, he has scored over 400 runs including two centuries. When there were trial games for the national one-day team, he and Chattagoon were the only openers to score a fifty. At a bare minimum, there is no reason a healthy and in-form Ryan Ramdass should be left out of a Guyana 4-day squad. Yet still he was. When I asked for an explanation, I was told he has to make runs in Guyana. But when I responded that there are no tournaments being played in Guyana I received no appropriate response.
I use Ryan Ramdass as a symbol that represents the derailment of cricketing talent in Guyana– not by their own efforts or lack thereof but at the will of selectors and the Guyana Cricket Board. I often wonder to myself if the managers of Guyana’s cricket worked as hard as some of the cricketers for so little reward if they would still continue this endeavour and if Guyana’s cricket would remain on course for this tragedy.
Who are the passengers of this slow train crash – Guyanese cricketers and the Guyanese people. And the reason for this disaster is clear – the absence of proper management, structure, organisation, academies and execution of programmes. It is definitely not for a lack of resources – eg I am reliably advised from a senior WICB officer that every year the Guyana Cricket Board gets US$100,000 or $21M to run cricket in Guyana. In addition, for every 4-day match that is currently being played in Guyana, the Board receives US$35,000 or $7,350,000; there are three matches being played in Guyana so that’s US$105,000 or approximately $22M. This will be the most expensive train crash in Guyana’s history.
Yours faithfully,
Charles S Ramson
