It’s 2013 but GCB lags way behind the time...Even as Trinidad beat Guyana in T20 opener

It’s 2013 but GCB lags way behind the time…Even as Trinidad beat Guyana in T20 opener

Sep 01, 2013 Sports

By Sean Devers
It’s the year 2013, but from what transpired at the Guyana National Stadium last Friday night one gets the impression that the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) is lagging way behind the cricketing World when it comes to organizing matches involving International players and providing a high-standard event for the paying public.

Brian Sattaur hits out

One would have thought that mere weeks after Guyana magnificently hosted the Limacol CPL the GCB would have learnt something from that splendid event.
Two matches involving Guyana and Trinidad &Tobago were promoted for the weekend. Two supporting matches, which also included Suriname, was also promoted on TV by the GCB in what was supposed to be an exhilarating spectacle, expected to attract a near capacity crowd.
However, even before ball was bowled in the first match the GCB showed their incompetence (or maybe it is a total disregard for the public and media) by sending no press updates on changes to teams, starting time, location of ticket sales and several other bits of important information like Albion replacing the Berbice Titans to face DCC on Friday.
Last night’s game was switched from 20:00hrs to 19:00hrs but no official GCB release was done informing the public of this.
Things got worse on match day when I waited for over 30 minutes for someone to unlock the door to the Media Centre before realizing that the afternoon match had already commenced.
When I enquired why the Media Centre was not opened I was told that arrangements were only made for the state-owned NCN Radio team. When I plugged the internet line into my computer I was told that the ‘net’ was not activated. In addition, there was no scorer for the Media as is usually the case for a game of this magnitude.

Man of the match Rayad Emrit in action

Spectators in the Party Stand could not know what was happening on the field since the Western Scoreboard was not working and the GCB did not hire an announcer to tell the spectators in the ground the score and who was batting and bowling.
I was one of the journalists who would be the first to compromise because of my duty to the readers and listeners (when I was on Radio) and my almost obsessive love for cricket. But it is funny what a year off from the job due to a Brain Surgery can do to the way I now look at life.
I still love my job but no longer will I get stressed out or worry when people don’t do their job in a professional manner. My life and those I love are far too important for that.
I will continue to humbly offer constructive criticism and hope the powers that be see the need to improve standards for the betterment of cricket, but I will no longer be consumed with the burdens of stress due the cricket, although I will also continue to do my job without fear or favour.
Meanwhile, Albion and T&T’s Red Force registered victories in Friday’s action in the GCB T20 Show down at Providence.
In the main attraction which was played between T&T and Guyana from 20:00hrs the hosts restricted the visitors to 134-7 before reaching 122 to lose by 12 runs.
Lendl Simmons led the way with 34 for T&T, while 17-year-old Nicholas Pooran (33) and Evin Lewis (26) offered support.
Bowling for the home left-arm pacer Krishmar Santokie had 2-28 and Veerasammy Permaul 2-20.
When Guyana batted the left-handed Leon Johnson top scored with 41 and Chris Barnwell made 22. Man-of the-Match Rayad Emrit captured 3-10 and Samuel Badree 2-14.

Leon Johnson drives through the off side.

In the supporting game, Albion made 160-7 with Jonathan Foo’s explosive 59 and Sewnarine Chattergoon’s 39 leading the way. DCC were all out for 102 in 19.3 overs.