TORONTO, Canada – With the 2015 cricket season fast approaching, the Canadian Cricket Umpires Association (CCUA) has sought to put its ‘house’ in order with the recent holding of the entity’s annual general meeting and election of office-bearers here.No major changes were recorded with long-standing president Basdeo Dookhie being retained in the top post while Guyanese Bisham Singh and Azad Khan will continue as vice-president and secretary respectively. Two other Guyanese – Deo Samaroo, who is also president of the Scarborough Cricket Association (SCA) and Denis Rajroop – will serve as directors,

The other major positions have been occupied by former president Fred Leacock (secretary), Austin Foote (treasurer) Jeewanlall Sookhoo (Education Chairman) and Matthew Francis (director).
As part of its ongoing efforts too, the CCUA, which is affiliated to the West Indies Cricket Umpires Association, has also commenced its annual seminars which cater for aspiring umpires and those who are seeking to upgrade their skills. The seminars which commenced last Sunday will run for 10 weeks and will be followed by examinations in Levels One, Two and Three.
Apart from Canada, the other members of the WICUA are Barbados, Canada, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Guyana, Jamaica, Leeward Islands, Trinidad & Tobago, United States and Windward Islands.
Among the aims and objectives of the CCUA are:
To promote and advance the status, role, authority and influence of cricket umpires and scorers; individually and collectively throughout Canada at all levels.
ii) To promote high standards of umpiring and scoring nationally at all levels of the game through the promotion of formal training courses, qualifying examinations, assessment and development programmes and any other means approved by the Executive Committee;
(iii) To promote the high standards of umpire and scorer training, nationally at all levels of the game through the provision of Instructor Induction Courses and advanced Instructor and Examiner training, development and assessment programmes;
(iv) To advise, act on behalf of and generally support the interests of the Association’s members in matters of match appointments, contract negotiations, insurance claims, legal disputes, disciplinary and arbitration proceedings directly related to their cricket activities, provided that the Association is not brought into disrepute thereby;
(v) To develop, build upon and maintain close collaborative, working relationships with cricket governing bodies and other Umpire and Scorer Associations in Canada and overseas;
(vi) To encourage and assist in the formation of constituent Branches and Affiliated Associations in Canada for the improvement of the game and the application of the Laws to further these Aims and Objectives.
Among the affiliated bodies are the Scarborough Cricket Umpires Association, Masters Cricket Umpires Association, Ottawa Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association, Waterloo Cricket Umpires Association, Valley Green Cricket Umpires Association and Montreal Cricket Umpires Association.