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More indiscretions unearthed with National U-19s trip to St Vincent
By Sean Devers
Investigations have revealed that National under-19 Skipper Travis Persaud missed a part of the Regional
GCB President Drubahdur
one-day final in St Vincent and was absent from the presentation ceremony at the Arnos Vale ground.
However, the investigations also discovered that Manager David Black reportedly refused to allow Persaud to go the Hospital to get a ‘medical’ to verify his fitness to play in the final against the Windward Islands following the removal of a cast on his injured hand.
It is understood that after Black refused to accompany Persaud or allow him to go the Hospital, the GCB was called and give permission for the player to leave the ground. It is also understood that Black was told to make urgent contact with the GCB but failed to do so.
It was disclosed that Persaud’s mother took him to the hospital since the team’s Liaison could not do so. The player was seen by Dr Woods after a long wait.
Black got involved in the team’s selection after Persaud had passed a fitness test which entailed 25 balls being hit at him for catching purposes. A poll was reportedly done and three players voted against him playing. During my days as a National U-19 player, the Coach and Captain were the ones who usually pick the team.
Among the job of a Manager is making sure that players clear immigration, supervise their booking into hotels, accompanying injured players to the hospital, ensuring disciplined is maintained, making the players comfortable and speaking to the Media, but Black told Kaieteur Sports, ‘Since St Vincent I am not talking to the Media’.
If a player goes missing it’s the Manager’s responsibility to find out his whereabouts and notify the
David Black
GCB immediately. Black failed to do so which means he was aware that Persaud had not abandoned his team.
A friend of mine in St Vincent said to me that if there was a prize for the most indiscipline team in the tournament Guyana would have easily won it.
Blacks’ failure to control his charges was evident even before the team departed Guyana when a senior player refused to comply with a chore which was mandatory for all players.
It is alleged that a senior player, considered as one of the best player in the entire tournament, who starred for Guyana with bat and ball, formed a clique of four and sowed seeds of division in the squad.
There are reports of an on-field verbal altercation between a couple of Guyana players in the game against the Windwards in the preliminary round and a show of unsportsmanlike conduct by a senior player after he was run out and while still on the field.
It is also understood that Black took his team to a Bar-B-Q at the Liaison officer’s home and some of the players returned to their Hotel intoxicated after 02:00hrs and could not attend practice the next morning.
All of these allegations, including the issue with Persaud, must be investigated and if found to be true penalties imposed on the guilty parties.
When one player was dropped during the three-day tournament, a fellow Sports Journalist at Kaieteur News and I both shared the view that there were problems in the Guyana Camp.
Travis Persaud
A Cricket Board member confirmed that the debriefing was held last week and that Manager and Captain (both submitted reports) were questioned but added that another player was absent.
While he declined to disclose the contents of the reports he confirmed that an investigation was being done.
It is hoped that the missing player gets a chance to defend himself and that the general findings of the investigation made public in the interest of transparency.
It is felt by many that the poor attitude and lack of respect for the game by several young cricketers is one reason they are not progressing past the U-19 level despite their undoubted talent.
The GCB needs to organise clinics for youth teams focusing on how to behave as National Sporting Ambassadors, especially when on tour.
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