Dear Editor,
It boggles the mind that the Berbice under 19 team which participated in the recently concluded inter-county competition was unbeaten in the 3 day games, while Demerara, which lost one match was declared the winner of that competition. Something is seriously wrong with cricket in this country when a team plays unbeaten in a competition and is not declared the winner. And please do not insult my intelligence by saying that points were awarded to fast bowlers for the number of wickets taken. Those points should not carry greater weight than points earned from a win. Come on Mr Sanasie and Mr Dru Bahadur, you guys need to look back at the rules of this competition and right this wrong. Even in the one-day competition Berbice lost one match, Demerara two matches and the President’s Eleven one match, yet Demerara and the President’s Eleven played the final. Come on guys, we are becoming the laughing stock of West Indies cricket. The entire competitions committee of the Guyana Cricket Board should be fired for this embarrassment and they should come up with more logical and sensible rules.
With regard to the cricket bill, I am very happy with one rule in the constitution which appoints an ombudsman to verify the financial membership of clubs. This has been a bone of contention at every AGM of the Berbice Cricket Board for the longest while now, so I am happy that we will have more transparency and accountability with regard to membership of clubs and allocations of delegates to the Berbice Cricket Board AGM.
And finally, I cannot understand and comprehend the selection policy of the WI selectors. How on earth can Verasammy Permaul not be in the shortlist of 20 players who were selected to prepare for the New Zealand series? And to rub salt in the wound, he is not even in the West Indies A team to play Bangladesh A in the Caribbean. Permaul was one of the leading bowlers in the recent regional tournament, yet the likes of Suleiman Benn were recalled. I have been saying for a long time now that the entire selection panel of the West Indies Cricket Board should be fired and replace with the likes of Lloyd, Richards, Greenidge, Ambrose and Walsh.
Yours faithfully,
Imtiaz Baccus
