THE Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) as part of its Meet the Club Programme last Sunday hosted its first every Berbice Cricket Stakeholders Conference at the Albion Sports Club.

President of the BCB, Hilbert Foster has made it quite clear that all major decisions concerning Berbice’s cricket would only be made after consultation with stakeholders across the Ancient County.

However, after the well-attended Stakeholders Conference the BCB is pleased to inform the cricketing public that the following decisions were made.

(a) On a recommendation from the Albion Cricket Club, delegates supported the return of the Senior Inter-County Championship between Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo. They agreed that the Guyana Cricket Board’s franchise league was a novelty idea but should not replace the historic championship.

(b) Delegates supported the call for the Guyana Cricket Board to permit the Berbicians on Cricket Contracts to train in Berbice under the supervision of a Guyana Cricket Board appointed Level II Coach. Delegates were very vocal that it was totally unfair for players to travel four days per week to Georgetown.

(c) The usage of the Guyana Cricket Board Hostel should also be made available to the players if the first suggestion is ignored. The Albion Cricket Ground is the most ideal venue to conduct daily training while Berbice has numerous Gyms for the players to train. Coaches like Julian Moore, Michael Hyles, Albert Smith and Winston Smith are all Berbicians and are available to supervise the players.

(d) Delegates supported the call for the end of any discrimination against players who leave the Guyana Cricket Board Cricket Academy Programme. Players are of the view that they are being blacklisted when they cancel their contracts and this should not be the case. The Berbice Cricket Board would support all of our players as they have their financial status and families to consider when making decisions.

(e) Delegates also supported the call for the hosting of Inter-county matches in Berbice at the junior level. They were of the view that it was totally unfair for one team to have home advantage when Berbice has venues like Albion, Blairmont, Rose Hall Canje or Skeldon to host such matches.

(f) Travelling to Blairmont is less than ninety minutes from the hostel, the same as travelling to venues over the Demerara River. With the Berbice Bridge in operation, the Guyana Cricket Board has no excuse for not bringing matches to the Ancient County.

(g) Delegates supported the Berbice Cricket Board policy in enforcing discipline at all levels, the wearing of the proper cricket attire at all matches and the policy of focusing on Berbician players to play in Berbice Cricket Board tournaments. Only one non-Berbician would be allowed to play in certain competitions while none would be allowed at the second division level.

(h) Delegates supported the motion that selection for the Guyana Cricket Board Franchise League must be in a transparent way with the setting up of selection committees for the West Berbice, New Amsterdam/Canje, Lower Corentyne and Upper Corentyne Franchise Leagues.
The Berbice Cricket Board intends to work hard to fulfill the mandate of its stakeholders.