Latest update May 25th, 2026 12:35 AM
GCA, ECCB weighs in on the ‘Unabated Lawlessness in Demerara Cricket’
The Demerara Cricket Board, despite being served with an injunction to prevent them from holding elections still went ahead with same thus making the board an illegal body. This is according to the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB).
A release from both organisations stated that on 25 January, 2013, the two major constituent members of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) – the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) and the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) sought and obtained an injunction (No. 2013-HC-DEM-CIV-W26) preventing the holding of elections of the Demerara Cricket Board.
Remarkably, the two (2) lesser constituent members of the DCB – the East Bank Demerara Cricket Association (EBDCA) and the West Demerara Cricket Association (WDCA) disregarded that injunction and proceeded to hold illegal elections thus creating an illegal DCB. The release further stated that the unlawful and secretive DCB (the names of the purported Executive have not been made public) together with the Essequibo Cricket Board then held another bout of illegal elections to create an unlawful Guyana Cricket Board. This is the sad state of affairs in which Guyana Cricket finds itself.
In 2011, Justice James Bovell-Drakes had injuncted the two (2) factions of the DCB. So, for three (3) years now there has been no legitimate DCB. This fact has been extensively covered in the local newspapers.
“Persons claiming to be the Executives of the DCB and attempting to run cricket in Demerara by soliciting sponsorship or in any way perform any function or duty of the DCB will be in contempt of court. Businesses, groups or individuals who are desirous of contributing to cricket by way of sponsorship or otherwise are advised to be very careful of their involvement as they may be unwittingly supporting an illegal regime,” the release stated.
It is against this backdrop that the decision of the Hand-In-Hand Mutual Fire Insurance Company Ltd to put a hold on their sponsorship of the Second-Division Competition in Demerara is highly admirable. Hand-in-Hand, which has been sponsoring cricket in Demerara for over thirty (30) years, has prudently ensured that its good name and equally good corporate standing do not get into the tangled web of the ongoing cricket fiasco.
In the present circumstance (the absence of a legal DCB) the GCA and the ECCB, mindful of our obligation to the cricket and the cricketers, would be prepared to participate in any cricket competition that is properly organised through a competent and fair process by an acceptable oversight body.
We wish to record our condemnation of the many illegal and dissident attempts to undermine the well-intended parliamentary process by some misguided individuals who are clearly preoccupied with hijacking our cricket. The GCA and the ECCB take this opportunity to reiterate our support for the parliamentary process which is expected to bring a permanent resolution to the chaos, confusion and illegalities that have consumed our dear national game, the release informed.
President of the ECCB Bissoondial Singh said it is highly objectionable that this illegal DCB has intentionally marginalised the major Associations – the GCA and the ECCB. “The DCB is attempting to take over the cricket in these areas by directly approaching their clubs and even selecting their teams. The constitution of the DCB directs that each constituent member must have a representative on the Selection Committee and the Competitions Committee”, added Singh.
Singh argued that the DCB under the purported presidency of Raj Singh is illegal and has embarked on a series of reprehensible activities including blatant disregard for the court, providing misleading information to sponsors, the hijacking of cricket in Demerara and, in general, creating disorder in the cricket structure which is affecting the decent and fair governance of the game as well as the standard of the cricket played.
In as much as the Government of Guyana is desirous of resolving this highly-charged and lengthy cricket impasse, it must not be done at the expense of the bona fide constituent members and the relevant constituents.
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