DIRECTOR of Sport within the National Sports Commission (NSC) Neil Kumar last Tuesday night called on the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to make a genuine effort to resolve the little controversy that is plaguing the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).

Kumar was at the time, delivering brief remarks at the GCB’s Annual Awards ceremony which was held in the upper pavilion of the Georgetown Cricket Club and saw in attendance, two former presidents of the GCB, Chetram Singh and Ramsay Ali, and four directors of the WICB – Baldath Mohabir, Anand Sanasie, Clifford Reis and Anand Kalladeen – among other specially invited guests.
“I recall, when Chetram Singh took over the GCB over two decades ago, they were at that time, in the red to the tune of G$4M and he was able to bring together a team of people who gave the game a good shot in the arm and at the same time brought the sport alive,” said Kumar.
Kumar reminded his audience which also included Retired Chancellor of the Judiciary Cecil Kennard, of Guyana’s rich cricketing history which saw the country produce the first two World Cups’ winning captain Clive Lloyd.
“We have a very rich history where cricket is concerned. I heard about the magazine the GCB intends to publish and this is great as young players will have an opportunity to read about their fellow countrymen achievements in the sport.
The first time the West Indies won a Test match was under the captaincy of a Guyanese in M.P Fernandes and thereafter, the most successful captain in West Indies cricket, in our very own Clive Lloyd, who went on to win the first two World Cup tournaments,” said Kumar.
He added, “After that, we did not stay there as we produced three consecutive captains for the West Indies team in Lloyd, Rohan Kanhai and Alvin Kallicharran, while we produced three other captains in Carl Hooper, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, so West Indies cricket owes Guyana.
“I recall when Roy Fredericks would tell us that the West Indies team looks forward to Guyana to produce the top order batsmen in the team and we need to look at the history our cricketers placed there for us and at this stage when we are having our problems, all of us must knock our heads together and try to resolve it as mature people, let’s see how we can get there.’
Kumar reminded his audience about the togetherness shown by the people, during Guyana’s preparation for the 2007 ICC World Cup.
“I think all of us would be proud to know that we have one of the best cricket stadia in the Caribbean. When we were preparing for the 2007 World Cup, Chetram would tell you how many problems and issues we had.
“People never thought we would have worked it out to host the matches, but today the Brian Lara Stadium is not finished, there is no light at Sabina Park and we can say that we have a proud, proud stadia and I feel that the merger of GCC and GFC should be discussed at length.”
He added, “As Clive Lloyd said, it should have occurred more than 25 years ago and I don’t think we should allow GCC to become a ‘White Elephant’. As I walked up the stairs this afternoon, I always go and look at the records which are indeed motivating … we feel different.”

SCHOOL CRICKET
According to Kumar, over 147 schools were competing in cricket in Guyana sometime back and he wished to see the game being revived in the schools, even as he welcomed the GCB’s plan to have same implemented sometime next year.
“I remember when we had 147 schools playing the game in the NSC/GCB Inter-Schools competition and we should resuscitate this tournament as quickly as possible. It is true that we have more cricket grounds in this country than the entire Caribbean put together and nobody can deny that.
“We also had more people playing cricket and to this effect, we need to see more cricket at Under-15, U-17 and U-19 levels, but more importantly we need better administration of our cricket and that is why I want to appeal to the GCB to resuscitate the game in the schools,” said Kumar.
He challenged both Reis and Mahabir, describing the former as a man of substance and quality, taking into consideration he is heading one of the largest beverage manufacturing companies in the Caribbean, to get the problem with Guyana’s cricket solved as quickly as possible, while asking the GCB to make 2014 the Year of Recovery for Guyana’s cricket, even as he congratulated the awardees.

(By Calvin Roberts)