WITHIN the first quarter of next year, Guyanese cricketers will be competing in a six-team professional cricket league, while schools around the country will be involved in a tournament, thanks to the sporadic efforts of the Guyana Cricket Board. This, along with the setting up of an Improvement and Modernisation of Cricket in Guyana Committee, was disclosed by president of the GCB, Ramsay Ali, during his Year in Review at his Board’s 15th Annual Awards ceremony held at Umana Yana last Wednesday night.
Addressing his audience which included West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) Director Clifford Reis among other specially invited guests, Ali said his board of executives had a tumultuous four months in office, but they managed to weather the storm and have their eyes focus on taking Guyana’s cricket forward.
“We have been in office for four months now and I must say that it has been a tumultuous period for us, wherein we had to withstand numerous negatives in order to take Guyana’s cricket places.
“Our Cricket Development Committee (CDC), headed by vice-president of the GCB, Alfred Mentore, has delivered a plan which will roll out early next month, inclusive of coaching programmes along with umpires and scorers’ clinics,” said Ali.
He added, “The development of every aspect of the game here in Guyana, including umpiring, scoring, health and diet issues and other cricket-related matters will be addressed in keeping with the WICB’s Cricket Development programme.
“Having said that, I wish to proudly state that the GCB will be commencing a secondary schools tournament where we will be targeting 175 schools which will see coaches and umpires along with our national players, work with the schools to help develop the game.”
“Gear for the inter-school tournament will be provided by Food for the Poor and with a joyful heart, I stand here to state that early next year, we will be having a professional league aimed at keeping our players at home, as we seek to develop our cricket.
“Initially, I wanted to start this league with six teams but can only do so with four, since I have received sponsorship for that amount, but I will be working assiduously towards getting the sponsorship for the other two teams,” added Ali.
However, in an invited comment with Honorary Secretary of the GCB, Anand Sanasie, yesterday morning, Chronicle Sport was reliably informed that the league will have six teams – a fact confirmed by Ali via telephone.
The GCB head who took over from Chetram Singh, the longest-serving WICB Director gave accolades to his predecessor whom he described as a champion when it comes to the cricket in Guyana in times past.
Ali showered praises on the coaches attached to the GCB, the players and even his executives who withstood the tumultuous period they were faced with and vowed to make the coming year a much better one both on and off the field for all involved.
In his review, the GCB head urged all cricket boards and associations to cooperate with the governing body in helping them to execute their cricket programmes in the coming year, since in that way Guyana’s cricket can develop, a point that was expounded on by the guest speaker Joseph ‘Reds’ Pereira in his address.
In closing, Ali called on his executives to continue working hard despite the numerous distractions that come their way. He said next year would be harder than this year, based on the programmes he wishes to execute in his drive to take Guyana’s cricket forward.