THE Guyana government has again been called upon to intervene in the current cricket fiasco, which continues to affect the administration of the sport, both at the county and national levels.
This plea was made by Secretary/CEO of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Hilbert Foster last Sunday during his address at the RHTY&SC’s 27th annual awards ceremony.
Foster told the gathering, which included Prime Minister and Acting President Moses Nagamootoo, Director of Sport Christopher Jones and Social Protection Minister Amna Ally, that as a country we owe it to ourselves to make sure that Berbice and Guyana cricket is preserved for the next generations.
“I would like to urge President David Granger, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and the government of Guyana to intervene in this situation before it is too late. The Parliament of Guyana passed a Cricket Bill and it is the Law of Guyana. Unless it is overturned, all parties should respect it and the time to act is now. Mr Prime Minister, as a Berbician and a proud uncle of one of our Test players, please assist us to save Berbice cricket. Let it be your legacy and I’m confident that every Berbician shall be proud of you,” Foster said.
Cricket locally over the years has brought into a virtual meltdown, and even though the Guyana Cricket Administration Act was passed in the National Assembly on May 15, 2014 and assented to by the-then President Donald Ramotar on August 4, 2014, the game continues to be in turmoil.
The aim of the Act is to bring about order in the administration of cricket and to improve its governance and financial accountability arrangements.
However, the Act is yet to be implemented because of the-then acting Chief Justice’s ruling of April 29, 2015, that restrains the holding of elections under the Act in respect of the Guyana Cricket Board and the county boards of Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice until the hearing and determination of the substantive action.
Further, Foster said,“Today, Berbice cricket is in disarray due to the lust for power at the county and national levels. People who have no vision, no capacity to manage are in charge, despite not being elected to do so. We as a country owe it to ourselves to make sure that Berbice and Guyana cricket is preserved for our next generations. We cannot afford to let the legacy of Trim, Kanhai, Butcher, Madray, Fredericks, Solomon, Kallicharran and Nagamootoo be destroyed.”
“No cricket is being played for clubs in Berbice; no coaching or off-the-field activities organised; unqualified coaches are selected to coach Inter-county teams; five clubs moved an illegal motion to remove a hardworking, dedicated and honest female administrator, while unqualified umpires are used in practice and Inter-zone matches,” Foster highlighted.
He added, “Players are targeted because of their clubs. Coaches are told to leave certain clubs if they want to get coaching positions, while players are given homemade drinks and food with one piece of small chicken to survive for an entire day. Our players practise every day with no cricket in sight and clubs depend on the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club to organise tournaments.”
Foster pointed that while Guyana have won three consecutive three Regional four-day titles, it is because of the hard work of club officials at Georgetown Cricket Club, Demerara Cricket Club, Albion, Rose Hall Town, Everest, Tucber Park and Young Warriors, who work day in, day out to make a difference.
“Take these clubs away and Guyana’s cricket would be dead and buried,” he concluded.