Dear Editor,
Once again, the family Yisrael is compelled to express its extreme disgust with the lopsided and illogical approach displayed by the Guyana Cricket Board umpire selector with their selection of umpires for the CWI Junior Panel of umpires.
Within a two-year period we are having genuine cause to question the ridiculous selection policies and practices of the umpire selector, Mr. Sanasie.
We have been literally bombarded with questions from players, coaches, spectators and other stakeholders to explain this outrageous situation and just cannot fathom a plausible explanation.
Can the selector please advise us why the haste in selecting a novice umpire after only being qualified for about six months?
Team Yisrael believes that all umpires selected for the Junior panel should be selected on a firm set of criteria, chief among them should be: current active umpiring, experience, performance, fitness, attitude(towards the game and players), knowledge, training and skill.
Unfortunately, the GCB has not been practising this in the selection of umpires and it has totally demoralized and devastated the Guyana Cricket Umpires Council (GCUC). Such manipulation has taken the spine out of the GCUC which has accepted the paltry sum of G$5500 per day for senior national cricket. These are the leaders who felt so accomplished at those promises and that extra G$500 they got last year. We do accept that you can never satisfy everyone all the time, but you should always endeavour to execute your duties in the interest of Guyana cricket.
What now should we tell our family-umpire Mr. Mikoowanyah Yisrael who has displayed commitment, dedication and outstanding performances, since 2008, when he is constantly being snubbed?
Since the selector, himself, has decided to unilaterally disregard date of qualification, experience and reports from captains/players, any prudent person would have expected him to, at least, pick an umpire with the right attitude and not one that issues threats to players on the field.
None of the recently selected umpires have the experience of Yisrael. Even though the GCB has done absolutely nothing to improve the profession of umpiring in Guyana, Yisrael was on a constant drive to be a professional.
All umpires deserve a fair run, especially in this era of age limits. It is a well-known fact that the art of umpiring takes time to develop and you should not `force ripe’ a novice.
There may be a case for other umpires as well.
We urge the GCB to always be fair and just in their dealings with umpires as this is what the Council needs to develop and ultimately be successful.
Yours faithfully,
Sacha Yisrael
for the Yisrael family
