Come December 22, president of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Hilbert Foster will seek re-election for the post when the body meets for its Annual General at the New Amsterdam Town Hall.
Foster was elected BCB president in 2017 following a court ordered and supervised election.
During his tenure, the one-year term was extended to two and the BCB has staged a large number of competitions.
In fact, the body held a record breaking 60 tournaments over the last two years.
Additionally, the BCB has hosted a number of programmes off field including coaching, umpiring and mentoring as well as ceremonies to honor outstanding performances.
Clubs have also been assisted with clothes, balls, scorebooks, gear, raincoats, stumps, trophies, water coolers, bicycles and educational supplies.
Stabroek Sport sat down with the man behind the turnaround who suggested that he will use his track record as justification for another term.
He will also unveil some of his plans to further develop the sport.
According to Foster, who notched up his 50th birthday last week, he had initially opted not to seek re-election but changed his mind …”When the so-called powers of Guyana cricket decided to stop our [Berbice] senior players from playing in the Busta Champion-of-Champions,” a move which he described as “a total slap in the face of Berbice Cricket.”
He added that the thought of watching the hard work put in by the current executives to bring Berbice cricket from where it was to where it is over the last two years “go down the drain in a couple of months to the point it becomes dormant is troubling.”
Foster said that he was further influenced by the vast amount of players, friends, spectators and umpires who “pleaded with him to continue the good work and praised him for what has been done so far.”
But, according to Foster, the icing on the proverbial cake that intertwines with all of the previously mentioned reasons, was the fact that almost all of the sponsors have indicated that they will only sponsor the competitions if he is there to lead.
Comparing the two eras, Foster, who was awarded with the Medal of Service for over three decades of sport administration, related that when the current body took over in February 2018, the bank account held $42,000.
Now Foster said that there has been “over 20 million in cash and kind in support of Berbice Cricket,” which has injected new life into the sport.
According to Foster, “Never in the history of Berbice Cricket has so much cricket been played at different levels such as U13, U15, U17, U19, U21, Female, Zonal, Schools, Double wicket, Intermediate, Second Division and First Division.”
Foster said he believes in “a hands on approach to governance,” pointing out that he personally has been, as of the date of this publishing, to 510 games since assuming office.
Additionally, Foster took credit for the number of players emerging from the County and breaking into the national sides as well as the International and Franchise levels.
If re-elected, Forster indicated that a minimum of 20 tournaments to the tune of around 20 million dollars will be held.
“There is a plan to establish a professional T20 league before the end of 2021, an expansion of the coaching programme, providing covers for pitches, an acquisition of a 15-seater bus, construction of an all-weather facility, implementation of inter-village cricket and more emphasis in the riverain areas especially at the grassroots level,” Foster said.
However, Foster posited that top on the list of things he intends to do once returning to office will be an added focus on youth development with the aim of having every club in the County establishing a youth team.
Speaking on youth development, he divulged that there is a plan to assist at least 100 youths with gear.
The AGM will begin from 11.00 hours, Clubs eligible for two votes each are Kildonan, Port Mourant, Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, Albion, Whim, Chesney, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors CC, Police SC, Mental Hospital, Guymine, Blairmont and Mt. Sinai while the Sub-Associations, West Berbice Cricket Association, Upper Corentyne Cricket Association and Berbice River Association are entitled to four votes each.
