THE Head of State, Mr. Donald Ramotar, on Wednesday last assented to the Cricket Administration Bill, according to Attorney-General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall.The National Assembly, in the latter part of May, passed the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill, which seeks to provide legal administrative guidelines for cricket, which over the years has become a national sport.
This Bill addresses a number of critical issues affecting the sport, including:
• Making into a legal entity, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) which is to be established as a corporate Body comprising the Demerara, Essequibo and the Berbice Cricket Boards respectively, all of which will also be made corporate entities;
• Eliminating the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons for administrative positions and at the same time will give limited power to the Minister of Sport;
• Creating the position of a Cricket Ombudsman, who will be tasked with the responsibility of verifying and registering clubs; he or she will have ample time to verify legitimacy of clubs; and
• Providing for better financial accountability and requiring the GCB to present timely audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as well as the National Sports Commission (NSC).
Additionally, the Alliance For Change (AFC) did not support the bill, while the other parliamentary party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) voted in favour.
Sport Minister, Dr. Frank Anthony, who presented the Bill to the National Assembly, said it was drafted after extensive consultations with all stakeholders and more so, following recommendations in a ruling made by the High Court.
“We created a unique innovation and we created the position of a cricket ombudsman. This person will be tasked with the responsibility of verifying and registering clubs; he or she will have ample time to verify legitimacy of clubs,” the Minister said.
Also, the role of the Minister under this legislation will be only to appoint the ombudsman. Dr. Anthony said, “The Minister’s role has been minimised in this Bill, the only role is that which is provided for. He can only appoint the ombudsman, after that first election the role of the minister ceases.”
The bill also will bring to an end the life of an Interim Management Committee which was established following a court battle and the Chief Justice’s ruling in 2011 and the Subject Minister stated that the recommendations from the Chief Justice in his rulings were taken into consideration and were clearly crafted in the Bill.
Issues raised during public consultations over a period of time were also taken into consideration and Dr. Anthony added that he is confident that all the past issues which once hampered cricket in Guyana have been addressed in the Bill.
Guyana now joins two other Caribbean nations, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados which made the governing bodies for cricket legal entities.

(Vanessa Narine)