THE HARASSMENT OF THE GCB HAS NOT ENDED

Jan 26, 2013 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

All Guyana felt proud over the performance of the national cricket team during the recent T20 regional showpiece hosted in Trinidad and Tobago and in St. Lucia. The performance of the team, particularly in that remarkable run chase against Jamaica, lifted the spirits of the entire nation.
When Guyana does well in cricket, it uplifts the morale of the nation. There was not anyone who was not overjoyed by the scintillating performance of the local team in reaching the finals. Their performance in the semi-finals was something special and had the entire nation abuzz with excitement.
At the conclusion of that semifinal match, both the President of Guyana and the Leader of the Opposition dispatched well-deserved congratulatory messages to the team indicating how much the performance of the team meant to the entire nation.
That performance was all the more special considering the state of administration of local cricket. The Guyanese cricketers had not had the sort of cricket under their belts because of the problems that have developed in the administration of cricket, problems which must be laid solely at the feet of an interfering government which wants to take control of local cricket.
Local cricket has been badly affected by this crisis which has seen court actions being filed, searches of the homes of the executives of the GCB, padlocking of their offices, the imposition of an Interim Management Committee on local cricket and recently the tabling of legislation to govern cricket, the first time in Guyana’s legislative history that something of this sort has been ever attempted.
The government seems determined to bulldoze the GCB out of existence.
In the process, it is unperturbed by the serious damage it is doing to local cricket. The Guyana team selected for the recent tournament was more or less selected on the basis of the past record and reputation of the selectees because there have been problems organizing local cricket because of the harassment that the government has unleashed on the governing body for cricket in Guyana.
It was the mischief of the government that has led to the present problems in local cricket. The crisis has seen Guyana being sidelined from hosting international cricket matches. Had it not been for the efforts of the embattled Guyana Cricket Board, Guyana would have by now been banned from participation in both regional and international cricket and many of our players who have been fortunate to be given berths on the regional team would have had to languish at home or be relegated to playing in minor leagues abroad.
The government simply does not get it: the West Indies Cricket Board is not going to recognize any authority that emerges outside of the structure of the Guyana Cricket Board. And without the sanction of the GCB, Guyana will not see international cricket or will local teams be allowed to play in regional tournaments.
The cricket team that represented Guyana at the recent tournament was a creature of the Guyana Cricket Board. The government of Guyana allowed this team use of the Providence facilities to train in preparation for the participation in the tournament. This action was seen as granting a semblance of legitimacy to the team, something that caused ripples within its own appointed Interim Management Committee.
The later congratulatory call the President made to the team after its resounding victory in the semi-finals was a call of congratulations to a GCB team and not an IMC team.
It represented a glimmer of hope that the troubled relationship that exists between the government and the GCB would be brought to an end. Such hopes were misplaced. A new round of harassment is about to begin.
It had long been hoped that the accession to office of Donald Ramotar would have been characterized by a new type of politics within the government, but it now seems as if nothing has changed.
It is disgraceful and unbecoming that under a Ramotar government, the continued harassment of the GCB continues. He should bring an end to this campaign of harassment against the Guyana Cricket Board that is being orchestrated from within his government.
It would be regretful if he does not.
But at least the Guyanese people will be left in no doubt as to where he stands and the hopelessness that is likely to characterize the future of his presidency.

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