THE ALBION Community Centre Cricket Club wishes to respond to a Press Release from the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) that was printed in last Thursday’s edition (October 23, 2014 ) of the Guyana Chronicle Newspaper titled “Permaul heads list of players that were reprimanded by BCB”.

This Press Release has once again demonstrated the high level unprofessionalism of the BCB and its utter disrespect that it continues to display towards the Executives and Members of the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club.
According to the Press Release, Albion cricketers Veerasammy Permaul and Anthony Bramble were fined $15 000 and $10 000 respectively and were also both paced on a one year’s good behaviour bond while Jonathan Foo was issued with a Warning Letter while two cricketers from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club were also sanctioned.
The Press Release further stated that the players were penalised as a result of their poor sportsmanship displayed during the final of the recently concluded Berbice Bridge Company 50 Overs First Division Cricket Final that was played at the Albion Community Centre ground.
While the Club at no time will endorse poor sportsmanship from any of its members, the club is very much dissatisfied with the way in which the BCB has opted to pronounce on the alleged misconduct of the cricketers, who were not allowed an opportunity to be heard and only learnt of the Board’s decision via the press.
Following an exchange of emails between the Club and the BCB, which this medium was privileged to see, the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club is asking a few questions of the BCB, seeking an early and amicable response, lest judicial action be taken.
The questions asked by Albion are:
Why the BCB did not respond to the request of the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club to reschedule the meeting that was set for Wednesday, October 15, 2014 to a mutually agreed date?
Why did the Executives of the BCB deal with this matter in conjunction with the Board’s Disciplinary Committee when the matter should have been addressed firstly by the Disciplinary Committee?
Why the rules of ‘Natural Justice’ were breached and the Albion Community Centre Cricket Club and its three cricketers (Permaul, Bramble and Foo) were not allowed to be heard or is it a case of the BCB’s Executives being the Judge, Jury and Executioner?
The Albion Community Centre Cricket Club hereby requests that the BCB rescind its decisions and allow ‘Due Process’ to prevail. Failing to do so and this matter not expeditiously resolved to the satisfaction of all concern, legal action will be sought.
The Albion Community Centre Cricket Club also found it strange that the BCB in its Press Release stated: “The BCB is worried about the poor and hostile relationship that exists between the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club and the Albion Community Centre.”
This statement in the opinion of the Club can be deemed fictitious since the two clubs enjoy a cordial relationship. However, as expected in any professional sport, there is always a high level of competitiveness between the two clubs.