Calls resonate for revamp of Guyana’s Cricket at BCB awards and presentation ceremony

Mar 27, 2014 Sports

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Permaul is Cricketer of the year

By Samuel Whyte
There is a deep crisis permeating Guyana’s Cricket at the moment, both on and off the field. At the administrative level the situation is dismal and with the Guyana Senior team performing at a catastrophic level on the field, the call was clear for a revamp of Guyana’s cricket.
The occasion was the 7th annual awards and presentation ceremony of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) held on Saturday last at the St Francis Community Developers (SFCD) Multipurpose Hall and Training Centre,

Corentyne, Berbice.
The impressive ceremony saw some 30 awards being presented to outstanding cricketers and administrators and donors who would have performed exceptionally well during the year to take and keep Berbice cricket on the high it has reached and to make the county proud.
The feature address was delivered by Minister of Housing and Water, Irfaan Ali, who is also the acting Minister of Tourism.
Minister Ali in his address congratulated the BCB for the exceptionally outstanding job they are doing in cricket development both on and off the field over the years. He called on others to take a page out of the book of the BCB. “The BCB is a shining light among cricket boards and others should try to emulate them,” he mentioned.
The Minister stayed away from delving too much into the current cricket impasse that is affecting the local game at several levels, but stated that, “Government is willing and ready to play its part and do whatever it has to do to make sure that cricket does not suffer much longer. Cricket is an integral part of Guyanese life and culture.”
He mentioned that the government believes that the priority should be cricket, but at the moment it is not so, giving enough reasons why the situation at the moment is in a dilemma.  ”It should be no individual, it should be no grouping, it should be cricket and we need everyone who have cricket at their heart to allow the selfish desires, to allow individualistic desires to be removed and let the collective good of cricket be heartened through which we look to revive the cricketing aspects of

sport in Guyana.”
Moving away from the cricket impasse the Minister, wearing his tourism hat – stated that even though the BCB is doing an exceptional job he said that a lot more can be achieved by venturing into other avenues.  ”Berbice at the moment has the greatest potential for Guyana and West Indies cricket in terms of earning revenue and expanding the cricketing base for Guyana and the West Indies.”
“Spread your wings to Suriname. You are the closest link to the neighboring country which is now developing their cricket. We can invest and if we do it correctly then an entire new market is open on that front. There are huge opportunities out there in sports tourism through cricket, not only in Suriname, but the rest of South America.  Berbice cricket could be the catalyst for such opportunities,” he stated.
He congratulated the awardees especially the youngsters and urged them to take their game seriously, be discipline and focus on their education.
Cricket Icon, former West Indies star player Basil Butcher, while congratulating the BCB and the awardees, was disgusted at the state of the game at the moment in Guyana. Butcher used the opportunity to call on the government to do whatever is possible to dig Guyana out of the pit it has fallen.  In a candid presentation the former batting star stated that, “Cricket has suffered for too long and it’s time we sort it out.” He said that cricket has nothing to do with government, but the government has a lot to do with cricket.  Butcher wants to know what is happening at the moment. A lot started to happen and all of a sudden everything stopped. He called on the government to continue with its effort to help rid the country of the scourge that is taking the game to nowhere.
“Cricket cuts across race, religion, class and colour, it is part of our culture, our pride and our tradition and we should not allow anyone to take away something that gives us so much pleasure, fun and joy and replace it with so much division, fighting, hatred and animosity,” Butcher pointed out.

President of the East Coast Cricket Board (ECCB) Bissoondyal Singh in one of the hard hitting presentations, lashed out at the GCB for the mess the game has descended into at the moment. He used the opportunity to call on the combined opposition to support the Cricket Administration Bill.  ”The bill is one of our few hopes to help revive the game in the country. Let’s hope that by the time we catch ourselves and decided to do something it is not too late.  The bill will bring an end to the rigged elections, lack of accountability, mismanagement, confusion and the chaos that has taken over the game in Guyana.”
He said that monies is being sent by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) to Guyana  on a yearly basis for cricket development and none is reaching the productive sectors of Guyana’s cricket which are the BCB, the Georgetown Cricket Association and the East Coast Cricket Board  which together produces over all of the national cricketers .
Singh called on those preset to enquire what happens to the $US100, 000 ($21M) that the WICB sends to Guyana every year for cricket development.
He congratulating the BCB and the awardees, he mentioned that over the past four years, cricket in Guyana has been in the most disastrous state in the history of the game and the BCB has come through with flying colours.
Member of Parliament Fizul Jafferally used the opportunity to congratulate the BCB for their excellent work and their above the board manner in which they manage the game in the Ancient County.  Whilst also congratulating the awardees he mentioned government’s commitment in doing whatever possible to assist. He alluded to the permanent lights being in installed at the Albion Sports Complex and more that $60 million spent to rehabilitate 30 grounds in the county. Jafferally took the opportunity to also express his dissatisfaction with the cricket situation in the country.
President of the BCB, Keith Foster said despite the lack of financial assistance from the GCB the BCB has managed to stay focused and do what they think is best for the game in Berbice and Guyana.  He thanked his executive for supporting him over the years and staying steadfast despite the non support of the GCB.
He congratulated the awardees and urged them to cherish whatever they receive. He told those attending school to take their education seriously since there is a life beyond cricket.
Human Resource Manager of the Albion Estate, Vemen Walter, also congratulated the BCB and the awardees for their outstanding achievements during the year.  He called on the recipients to use the awards as a means of inspiration and urged the BCB to continue the good work.
Chairman of the Special Events committee Hilbert Foster gave an elaborate review of the board’s achievement for 2013 and plans for this year.
The top Awardee was West Indies left arm spinner Veerasammy Permaul of Albion who copped the male cricketer of the year award, while on the distaff side West Indies female all-rounder Shemaine Campbell of Rose Hall Town was adjudged the female cricketers-of-the-year.
Other awards were presented to –U -15 Cricketer of the Year Adrian Sukhwa, U17 Cricketer of the Year Brandon Prasad, U19 Cricketer of the Year Gudakesh Motie, most disciplined Female Player went to West Indies player Tremayne Smartt, the most disciplined male player Sharaz Ramcharran, most Promising Player Balchand Baldeo, most Improved Player Askay Homraj.
There were also awards for outstanding junior players in the respected sub associations and areas with – West Berbice Junior Cricketer of the Year being Derick Narine Jnr, New Amsterdam/Canje Junior Cricketer of the Year going to Shimron Hetmyer, Lower Corentyne Junior Cricketer of the Year being Gudakesh Motie and Upper Corentyne Junior Cricketer of the Year adjudged as Dion Esau.
The Albion Cricket Club was declared the Club of the Year.
There were also a few other awards with the Best Domestic Coach award going to Winston Smith, the best Inter County Coach as Hubern Evans, the Umpire of the Year  is Moses Ramlall. A Special award went to Imran Moakan for his elevation to the West Indies regional panel and the Upper Corentyne Cricket Association for their remarkable stewardship of cricket in the Upper Corentyne area.
Mention was also made of Narsingh Deonarine, Veerasammy Permaul, Davendra Bishoo, Assad Fudadin, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Brandon Bess who currently or recently played for West Indies and the numerous cricketers who represented Guyana recently.  Shimron Hetmyer and Gudakesh Motie represented the West Indies at the U19 level, while Tremayne Smartt, Shemaine Campbell and Subrina Munroe are the only three Guyanese playing on the West Indies female team.

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