GCB receives green light for Guyana’s participation in Regional T20

Jan 07, 2012 Sports

-Team leaves today

Shortly after 12:00 hrs yesterday, the controversy surrounding whether the national T20 squad would have been able to participate in the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) sanctioned event was clearly settled when Honorary Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Anand Sanasie was given the green light for Guyana participation during a teleconference involving the two parties.
Sanasie made the disclosure at a press briefing called to apprise the media of the most recent development after the team’s participation was threatened when the Sport Ministry attempted to install an Interim Management Committee (IMC) to run the affairs of local cricket instead of the duly recognised GCB.

GCB Secretary Anand Sanasie (3rd left) addresses the media in the presence of board members and captain of the Guyana team Christopher Barnwell (2nd right).

Guyana’s participation at the event was thrown in doubt after the Government through Sport Minister Dr. Frank Anthony decided to lock out the GCB from its Head Office on Regent Street thereby disrupting its administrative and logistical capabilities that made it impossible for the Board to effect the necessary preparations for the team to travel to the tournament.
The IMC which is led by former West Indies Captain Clive Lloyd was set up by the Government through the Ministry of Sport is not recognised by the WICB and is therefore in no position to submit any team to represent Guyana to the regional competition as was reiterated in a release from the WICB which has made it clear that the GCB is the only authorized body to do so.
According to Sanasie the team is going entirely under the auspices of the GCB, adding that it is only under such circumstance that they are being allowed to play.
He informed that because of the inaccessibility of their records, cheque books and other related administrative instruments to provide for the team’s departure, the WICB will ‘pick up’ all the expenses and then deduct it from their next due subvention.
He also revealed that all the players were summoned to a meeting and they’ve consented to do their best despite the current imbroglio which has severely affected preparations, while one change in personnel is imminent due to personal reasons.
Sanasie said that Assistant Coach David Harper might not attend the tournament due to a personal family commitment.
Asked why haven’t they resorted to breaking the padlocks to access the building, Sanasie responded by saying that while the building is a fixed asset of the GCB, they’ve agreed to let the legal phase take its course.
The GCB according to Sanasie feels that the IMC is illegal and the Board is prepared to exhaust all its options to prove that an illegal act was being attempted by the Minister.
“No where in our constitution is there allowance for an IMC or any Government organ to take over the Board,” Sanasie said.
The Guyana team is expected to leave today for the tournament which commences on Monday in Antigua.
The full text of yesterday’s statement by the GCB at the media briefing is as follows:
Even after an emergency Executive Committee meeting of the Guyana Cricket Board on the evening of the 5th January, all appeared lost for the Guyana Team’s participation in the Regional T20 tournament. The situation remained very fluid after the meeting since the meeting unanimously agreed that the foremost position of the Board was that we have our Guyana team represented at this tournament as we were very cognizant of the fact that only representative territorial teams are eligible to represent our region at the Champions League slated to be held later this year in India.
The WICB had been advised about our inability to field a team in the dire circumstances. As such, a replacement team was named by the WICB and players were already notified, this included some of our own players. The West Indies Cricket Board had also acquiesced to our directors’ request to pay those other players not selected their match fees up to the preliminary round stage. That may have been sufficient for many persons faced with this challenging position and political pressure being exerted on the GCB.
Not the Guyana Cricket Board!
Ever mindful of the human suffering being caused by the all night vigils that players and their loved ones were enduring, tears of mothers falling all too freely. It is not an abstract situation for us, we, the Guyana Cricket Board and our players are a family and we share a very close relationship, based on trust and mutual respect along with stated goals, we have been suffering through this ordeal together.
Our efforts to ensure the participation continued all night with numerous teleconferences between our Executives and those of the WICB and we are extremely proud to say we have with the help of our umbrella body found a temporary solution to this crisis imposed upon the players and people of Guyana by the newly elected Government of Guyana through its Ministry of Sports. We are amazed that this is one of the first tasks being undertaken by a newly elected government in the face of so many much more serious challenges facing our country.
The Guyana Cricket Board, in its darkest hour yet and with powerful forces and personalities aligned against us, engaged the CEO, Ernest Hillaire and the President, Julian Hunte in earnest negotiations. We are pleased to announce that we have successfully obtained all the necessary assistance and the resources of the WICB which was made available to those seeking a solution to the difficult situation in which the GCB and its players were embroiled.
Our request for logistical and administrative help was welcomed by the CEO and we are eternally grateful to the WICB for their flexibility and assistance that made this all possible. NOW, WE ARE PROUD TO SAY OUR GUYANA TEAM WILL BE COMPETING IN THE WICB CARIBBEAN T20 CUP 2012 EDITION AS A TEAM.
The efforts of the Government of Guyana to engage us in brinksmanship and one-upmanship were not successful. We have maintained our legal and historical position as the entrusted custodians of the game throughout this ordeal and for which the WICB has been very keen to reiterate at every opportunity. The Government of Guyana does not seem to fully grasp the policies of the ICC as outlined in its 3 page Government interference document which has been widely circulated to the media. That document clearly states that a timeline was granted to those Boards that presently has government interference to get their house in order and that the ICC would not tolerate any new interference from any government with any of its member boards and their subsidiaries.
Be that as it may, we are still faced with the challenging task of preparing and participating in West Indies cricket. Already, we have witnessed the consequences of the government’s interference when we had to cancel the last 2 weeks of the T20 team’s encampment and the 2 practice matches that were scheduled to be played on the 5th and 6th January against the Jamaica team. Further, our preparations for the regional four day tournament have been stymied; the West Indies V Australia test match appears to be an impossible task under the threats leveled by the Minister of Sport to the West Indies Cricket Board.
The GCB has been ready to call in our auditors over 2 weeks ago to have our accounts audited following the end of our financial year on November 30th 2011 but our Offices remain padlocked by trespassers. Our staff is now unemployed.
For now we will savor this glow of goodwill, knowing our Guyana team who have had to needlessly endure this ordeal is going to play the game we love so much and do their utmost to bring further glory to these shores.
The GCB and its executives will always place the players first and never cease to find a solution that benefit the players and cricket. We, at the GCB are not interested in politically motivated statements and only have the success of cricket and our players at heart. In this stead we are always willing to spend long hours of our personal time to find solutions to issues affecting cricket and the affairs of our players. The GCB was able to convince all stakeholders that even though we are under tremendous constraints and lack proper preparation, the Guyana team should participate in the WICB T20 2012 as a unit and therefore be eligible for the Champions League.
1.   An executive of the GCB paid for clearing of the clothing.
2.   The WICB has agreed to pay all expenses and deduct same from subvention due to the GCB.
3.   The President of GCB agreed to provide travelling shirts.
4.   The team and its management agreed to make some personal sacrifices to ensure they participate.
5.   The video analyst and coach agreed to source all their equipment personally since these are not accessible.
6.   Airport taxes will be covered by a sponsor.
The GCB will advise, at a later date, on further plans for our participating teams, legal options and the new development regarding the Australian and New Zealand tours.
The Executives of Guyana Cricket Board takes this opportunity to thank its representatives at the WICB for their tremendous efforts to ensure our national team continues to keep the Golden Arrowhead flying.