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Letter to the Sports Editor…ESSEQUIBO CRICKET BOARD IS FAILING ITS CONSTITUENTS

Feb 21, 2016 Sports

Dear Editor,
There has been a prolonged drought in relation to cricket competitions in the county of Essequibo and as a former executive member of the Essequibo Cricket Board; I am appalled at the current state of affairs with regards to the administration of the governing Board. The ECB comprises of eight area committees namely Bartica, East Bank, Leguan, Wakenaam, Pomeroon, North, Central and South Essequibo. During the past three years, with the exception of the annual senior Busta one-day tournament, no other competition was held for either the junior or senior players. This scenario is totally unacceptable, disturbing and smacks of gross neglect by the ECB to advance cricket development within the county. Where is the much touted assistance from the GCB given that the ECB is the only legitimate Board that is preserving the life of the GCB?
The morale of the players has been instantly shattered by this growing fear of mistrust, misguided traits and the imposition of an authoritarian clique of Administrators who continues to lead the Board in despair. There are very little opportunities for the players to showcase their talent and even more disappointingly the method of selecting inter-county teams are always done in a cloud of uncertainty. In fact in several instances the various Committees are asked to submit names for possible selection without there being any trial matches or competitions. Mysteriously though, it seems that players are being selected by placing their names in a bag and arriving at a team. Which other method can the selectors possibly use? It is indeed quite a frightening disposition even at this time when the GCB has been swift to offer congratulatory messages to the World Cup winning West Indies under-19 team, yet they have been an abject failure to the ECB and the younger players who are eager to emulate their peers. I am not convinced that this faltering trend will be reversed soon since the game seems to be playing more in the Courts rather than on the field. Where is the active plan of the CDC and would Essequibo receive one of the many brush-cutters that were recently acquired by the GCB?
Recently an Essequibo team was selected to participate in a tournament in Berbice and surprisingly no one from North Essequibo was eligible. Ironically though, North Essequibo has been the most active and progressive Committee (plays the most competitions) within the county and has produced the most inter-county players in its history. The selectors have been blatantly dismissive of the players from North, especially the Secretary who is a selector and whose Central Committee where he presides as Chairman has not played a single competition for over four years! Reforms at the level of the ECB are inevitable since its leadership has been at its lowest ebb resulting in the degradation of the sport and the profuse disenchantment of the players from the various Committees.
The constituents deserve better management especially when stout resistance has been taken by the Executives including at the level of the GCB to refuse the use of the ECB Hostel for cricket purposes. Yet it has been made readily available for other purposes which are contributing to its rapid deterioration. The Hostel is indeed a true reflection of the stagnant growth of Essequibo’s cricket and so is the ECB!
Elroy Stephney

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