… ‘Reds’ Perreira
LAST Thursday, Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport (MCYS) issued a press release which named the members of the Interim Management Committee (IMC) that is being headed by former Guyana and West Indies skipper Clive Lloyd. The IMC was formed following several court issues involving the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), to which the Honourable Chief Justice Ian Chang ruled “It is a matter of common knowledge that there exists a Ministry responsible for Sport in general.
“This indicates that the State has assumed responsibility for the welfare, promotion and proper administration of sports in Guyana and that, since in the present state of affairs, while a legislative structure for the administration of cricket is desirable, there may be the immediate need for the Minister responsible for sports to impose his executive will in the national interest until such time as Parliament can provide a more permanent welfare structure.”
Following such a decision, former President Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport Dr Frank Anthony, WICB President Dr Julian Hunte and ICC Cricket Development Committee Chairman Clive Lloyd held closed-doors discussions.
Dr Anthony later held a meeting with the involving factors of the GCB including its president Ramsay Ali, vice-presidents Alfred Mentore and Faizul Bacchus, and Honorary Secretary Anand Sanasie and while the matters discussed in that meeting were not disclosed, the day-to-day affairs of the GCB were conducted under the stewardship of Ali, until the announcement of the IMC.
Taking time out last Saturday while autographing his book ‘Living my Dreams’ at the Oasis Café, well-known cricket commentator Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira told Chronicle Sport he hopes the game of cricket does not suffer, following the formation of the Lloyd-led IMC.
In an invited comment with Chronicle Sport yesterday, Perreira said he has learnt from well-placed sources within the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), the WICB has commenced drafting out new fixtures for the upcoming four-day first class season, minus Guyana.
“First of all, let me say that according to what I have heard, the Dr Julian Hunte-led WICB still recognises the Ramsay Ali-led Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) as the sole administrator of cricket in Guyana. However, I have heard from official sources within the Caribbean and it is yet to be confirmed, that the WICB has drafted out fixtures for their first class season, leaving Guyana out of same,” stated Perreira.
According to the former Chairman of the National Sports Commission and Sports Officer of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), the ‘severe implications’ following the announcement of the IMC have begun to take course here.
He added, “Not only will Guyana, a founder member of the WICB not be allowed to compete in the Board’s first class season, but our players such as Devendra Bishoo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, just to name a few, may not be selected for the West Indies team.
Added to that, all matches both home and away may go while our umpires will be affected by this new development, especially young Nigel Duguid who was just named to the International Cricket Council Television Umpiring Panel (TUA), following approval from the governing body for the gentleman’s game.”
Duguid replaced Jamaica’s Norman Malcolm on the panel and part of his duties will see him officiating in the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) 2012 season as part of the ECB/WICB exchange programme.
If Guyana is blacklisted, then Duguid will not be able to execute his duties in England, which would be another major setback for cricket in Guyana, even though the team will be allowed to compete in the WICB Calypso Cup T20 tournament which bowls off in two weeks time.
Not only will Duguid be affected, but some of our cricketers, apart from Sarwan, Chanderpaul and Bishoo, will be greatly affected should the WICB impose a ban penalty on Guyana – including Christopher Barnwell, Derwin Christian, Veerasammy Permaul and even young Ronsford Beaton and Amir Khan.
“While we will be allowed to compete in the Calypso Cup T20 tournament, since our team has been named for that tournament before the announcement of the IMC, it’s the four-day first class season, along with the Guyana leg of Australia’s tour to the Caribbean, which faces the heat.
Some of my sources from Down Under told me the tour groups were organising tours to some of our sightseeing areas such as the Kaieteur Falls and St George’s Cathedral during the Guyana leg of the tour and I beg to ask if there is another way around this situation without Guyana being suspended.
Added to that, the advent of REDjet to the Caribbean and their low airfares meant that many cricket-lovers throughout the Region would possibly capitalise on the opportunity to visit Guyana for the Australia/West Indies Test match at our very own Guyana National Stadium, Providence.”
While reiterating his admiration for Lloyd, Perreira, who fought and overcame ailments with cricket coming to his rescue, a discriminatory ban and many years later legally challenging and clearing his name for a continued triumphant career as a cricket commentator, said he has lots of faith in the man known to many as the ‘Super Cat’.
“I have lots of faith in Lloyd and having seen the character of the man who led the West Indies so well during the late 70s and into the 80s, I don’t think he would want Guyana to be suspended, while at the same time, our players are sidelined from the West Indies team,” opined Perreira.
While making it clear that he was not Anti-Ministry, Perreira called on Dr Anthony to revisit the formation of the IMC, while recommending the need to remedy the problems within the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB), which would in turn lead to a much better GCB.
“I would recommend that the Ministry of Sport, under the astute leadership of Dr Anthony, look at remedying the Demerara Cricket Board, since that is where the foundation of the problems is when it comes to the GCB.
From a journalist standpoint, I would be very sorry if Guyana is suspended by the WICB who according to my sources has informed the ICC about the situation here in Guyana and I think we should let good sense prevail and work this out instead of going the IMC way.”
Perreira called on the authorities to bring together closely, the present Guyana team that is preparing for the Calypso Cup T20 tournament, saying they would need much psychological preparation prior to their departure, since cricket is a lot about confidence.
“There could be another way in arriving at a better and stronger structure when it comes to the administration of cricket in Guyana and I am pleading with Dr Anthony to forego on the implementation of the IMC, solve the DCB issue and let’s take Guyana’s cricket forward.”