Restore the pride to inter-county cricket

Sep 09, 2015 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I was privileged to have represented Essequibo at senior inter-county cricket between 1995-2006 and against the likes of the incomparable Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Clayton Lambert, Sudesh Dhaniram, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Reon King and Colin Stuart etc.
During those extremely testing and exhaustive moments, cricket was genuinely served both by the players and administrators. There were even favourable crowds in attendance at each game. Pitches were also delicately prepared and the outfield was always in immaculate condition.
The Administrators would conspicuously address the players before the tournament began and serve a firm reminder of their expectations. Conversely the players were full of excitement and energy to battle among themselves, not only for supremacy, but the ultimate desire was to be selected in the national team on the basis of sound performances.
During the past four years, inter-county cricket has been impotent and lacked the intensity mainly due to the tardiness in which preparations were made for the once prestigious tournament. Players also feel threatened by Administrators even if defending their fundamental rights.
This was evident given the unceremonious if not deliberate isolation of former Berbician and national player Richard Ramdeen, whose stance a few years ago was to adhere to the Berbice Cricket Board instead of a turbulent Guyana Cricket Board.
It was a moral position he took since the BCB had appealed for its players not to recognize the GCB because of its perceived status as a Board. Ramdeen incidentally paid the ultimate price and was never selected again nationally even though at the time he was one of the more promising opening batsmen in the country. The opening position presently still remains unresolved.
It is these kinds of scenario that still exist since in some cases players cannot even play in a domestic match unless consent is given by the GCB! I have even recalled during this year that a local player and his teammates from the Pomeroon were unilaterally banned at the insistence of an executive of the GCB for hosting a competition which the executive claimed was not sanctioned by the WICB.
Incidentally cricket is virtually non-existent in the Pomeroon, yet any attempt to do so is met with consternation and even hostility from the Authorities. Not surprisingly, the ban was instituted at the time when the local player was challenging the ECB President for the Chairmanship of the Pomeroon Cricket Committee. This is the type of executive lawlessness and authoritative manipulation that has engrossed our domestic cricket.
Additionally, in Essequibo, the players are hastily informed before an inter-county tournament and worse yet they compete without any meaningful preparation and purpose. There are no trial matches to select the team.
Instead a one–day competition is organized after which a team is selected for a four day competition! Absolutely no serious consideration has been made about the state of cricket in Essequibo and quite worryingly the cricket Hostel was never adequately utilized to benefit the advancement of the players, especially the juniors.
Inter-County cricket once again needs to be the prime tournament by which the national team is derived. As such a serious and conscientious approach is needed in having proper pitches, adequate preparation and distribution of matches across the country, definitive selection policies and corrective measures to rid the sport from dictatorial representatives thus alleviating fear from the players.
It is not business as usual and unless there is a complete transformation within the near future, cricket generally will degenerate to its lowest ebb in Guyana. The signs are already ominous in the three counties with the Essequibo Cricket Board being dysfunctional and without a strategic plan and proven leadership; the Berbice Cricket Board continues to derecognize the GCB on legal grounds and there is not a constitutionally elected Demerara Cricket Board.
While the WICB is aware of this unacceptable as well as the unstable state of affairs following the presence of the President and Vice President of the Board in Guyana recently, it appears that they are unwilling to confront this monster that has been created and perhaps in fear that it may haunt the very fabric of the WICB!
I am therefore challenging all stakeholders of cricket in Guyana to remain vigilant and steadfast in redefining and transforming cricket in every community, alas, to ensure that inter-county cricket remains the pillar for the preservation and pride of cricket in Guyana.
In fact, when a batsman can score a double century in a one-day inter-county match and create history, he ought to have etched the minds of the national selectors. Instead Essequibian Kevin Boodie has never received the recognition he deserve and there are many more cases of bewilderment regarding the selection policies of the GCB. Is this the pride of inter-county cricket?
Elroy Stephney

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