Rottenness in Guyana’s cricket needs to be cut out

Apr 17, 2010 Sports

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Dear Sir,
There are some things that are rotten in Guyana’s Cricket and unless those of us who are involved in the game say enough is enough, our future as major forces in cricket would be numbered. My experience as the Secretary/CEO of the Guyana’s leading Youth & Sports Club has taught me to be successful; leadership must be visionary, hard working, dedicated and be ahead of the times.
Sadly, in Guyana we have few such leaders involved in cricket as people are mostly interested in power for power itself and have no interest at all in the game of cricket and the youths who play the game.
The Berbice Under-19 Cricket Team needed about 13 runs last week to win the match versus Essequibo in the 15 Overs to be bowled in the last hour at the Anna Regina Ground. The rules clearly stated that the fifteen overs are mandatory and must be bowled in the last hour but the Umpires and Match Referee along with Senior Guyana Cricket Board’s Official looked on as only seven Overs were bowled in 50 minutes and did nothing to correct the situation.
Mr. Editor, the funny part of the whole sad situation is that a spinner bowled four of the seven overs and one is left to wonder how many overs would have been bowled if two fast bowlers were in operation. A young fast bowler who wanted to play for Guyana take nine minutes and then ten minutes to bowl one over and the umpires who are supposed to ensure that cricket is played according to the Laws and spirit of the game did nothing. The Laws catered for penalty runs for deliberate time wasting but again nothing was done.
The Guyana Cricket Board must launch an investigation into this sickening affair and let the chips fall where it may, because we cannot afford to allow people to do as they feel. The Guyana Cricket Board cannot allow this situation to continue and the responsible officials must be sanctioned.
Answers must be sought to the following questions.
1. Why did the Umpires allowed the Essequibo Team to waste so much time in the field to stop Berbice to march to victory.
2. How in God’s name can a bowler take ten minutes to complete an over of six balls and nothing done about it?
3. Why was five penalty runs awarded against Berbice for the Keeper’s gloves getting in contact with the ball on the ground but none was awarded against Essequibo for the slow Over rate.
4. Why did the Umpire from Essequibo offer light to the Berbice batsmen three times in one Over when they clearly indicated that the light was okay for them.
5. Why did the Umpires called off play at 17.50 hours when a spinner was to bowl but did not do so when the fast bowler was bowling and the batsmen were clearly comfortable.
6. Is the Match Referee qualified to do that work and what did he do about the situation. Did the Umpires after the match spoke to the Match Referee?
7. Is it true that the grounds man, an Executive of the Essequibo Cricket Board and did he do enough to get the pitch in order after the rain? Is it true that the Umpire from Demerara was working to prepare the pitch while the grounds man was busy arguing with an official of the Berbice Team. The question that must be asked is “was everything done to ensure play to start back as early as possible?
8. Why was the entire set of covers not used when the rain came at 15.00 hours, but were used to cover the pitch every afternoon after play.
I fully respect Mr. Chetram Singh and I am confident that he would make sure that this never happens again and the GTM Group of Companies must also seek answers as it was their finances involved.
Mr. Singh must also look into allegations that at least one selector during the match was involved in consuming liquor. If this is true, Mr. Editor one is left to wonder where are we going and it is no wonder that we are at the bottom of the barrel. The county of Berbice has been robbed and we seek justice. The Guyana Cricket Board must not allow these officials to be associated with any of its tournaments in the future and Essequibo’s hosting of future matches must be reviewed if this situation continued. Cricket must be the winner, nothing else.
May I also end this letter on a note of irony extending congratulations to Demerara on their victory over the depleted Berbice Female Cricket Team? The Guyana Cricket Board had to arrange the Female Tournament to start on the day after; the only two West Indies players left the country to attend the West Indies camp.
The Berbice Cricket Board had requested the tournament be played before the players departed but was denied. Some people are more interested in having trophies in their cupboards than having our best players on show. I am sure that the sponsor would have liked to have our only two West Indies stars apart of the tournament.
The Chairman of the Competitions Committee is Mr. Carl Moore. Is he really in charge as someone else seemed to be in charge? The answer to this question might be the same answer I received when I questioned a National Cricket Official on why the Guyana Cricket Board was organising the Female Tournament when the country’s two top females would be absent. The answer I got was that if Berbice wanted to win everything and cannot allow others an opportunity. I was also told that all we have to do was to pick two other players to replace Shemaine Campbell and Tremayne Smartt.
It is no wonder that our cricket is dying a slow and painful death.
Hilbert Foster.

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