Government is unwilling to implement the Cricket Administration Act

Oct 02, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor,
In 2011 former Chief Justice (Ag) Ian Chang in his ruling on the Angela Haniff vs GCB application for an injunction stated that the Government through its Ministry/Minister of Sport should install an Interim Management Committee (IMC) as a short-term measure and legislature as the long-term remedy for the escalating cricket crisis. This effectively placed the responsibility on the “Government” to resolve the lawlessness, illegality and corruption that had taken over the very essence of our cricket.
Sad to say that to date there has been no improvement. Both governments, the PPP/C and the APNU/AFC, must share collective responsibility for the current shambolic state of our cricket. Although the PPP/C Government through its Minister of Sport established the IMC and enacted the Law consistent with the former CJ’s recommendation, the process took too long principally because of the evident ambivalence within that Party. For while some Party leaders were publicly acknowledging that the GCB officials were operating illegally, others seemed more disposed to accommodate the “illegality” especially former Director of Sport Neil Kumar who publicly gave “unflinching support” to that Board.
The GCB Executive then and even now was composed of a cast that is fearful of facing any democratic process that involves free and fair elections. Guyana is a democratic country and it is inconceivable if not highly improbable that in any transparent cricket electoral process this is not reflected among the Executive Members elected.
The APNU/AFC Government while in opposition remained relatively quiet during the turbulent years 2009-2014 but participated meaningfully in the Parliamentary process through the Cricket Select Committee in refining the draft bill presented by the PPP/C administration into a readily acceptable document. The inclusion of the Ombudsman in the new Act was important to ensure transparency in the voting process at elections of the various Boards along with the inclusion of the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (Linden) which remains totally ostracized from participating in any cricket activity to date.
It is very instructive to note that Dr. Rupert Roopnarine in his very eloquent presentation to the National Assembly on the merits of the Cricket Administration Bill 2012 stated and I quote:-
1. “The very word ‘cricket’ has become a synonym for all that is true and honest. To say ‘that is not cricket’ implies something underhand, something not in keeping with the best ideals”,
2. “For now, suffice it to say that the crisis of Guyanese and West Indian cricket is not unconnected with a crisis in cricket administration. In fact, recent events have shown that the crisis reaches right up to the ICC”.
3. “The Bill before us today, I believe, is an attempt, long delayed and much deferred, to grapple with our own local situation. It is my hope that what we are doing in relation to the Cricket Administration Bill will reach into the other territories where there is much to be done in relation to cricket administration”.
4. “We can neither afford to luxuriate in the nostalgia of glories past nor wring our hands as we bemoan the current decline”.
5. “What then are the key elements of the Bill? The Hon. Minister (Dr. Frank Anthony) has outlined some of them. One, the issue of elections to the executive of the GCB; this is at the heart of the issue”.
To date even though the political guard has changed and the APNU/AFC coalition is now the Government and Dr. Roopnarine is Minister of Sport, cricket is still suffering. This is a totally unacceptable situation where there have been no elections held and where the GCB Executive Members have sought and served injunction after injunction to prevent any further elections notwithstanding Dr. Roopnarine’s statement that “elections of the GCB are at the heart of the issue”. And despite meetings with Dr. Roopnarine, the Attorney General, the Minister of State, the Director of Sport, the National Sports Council and President Granger himself, nothing has been done.
Instead, after sixteen (16) months of the APNU/AFC Government the present cricket regime is still being allowed to operate with impunity whilst desecrating our cricket and cricketers in the process.
Dr. Roopnarine had lamented in his address then “who could have imagined that the current West Indies team would not include a single Guyanese”. This is due to the incompetence of the current leaders of our cricket administration who seem to be inextricably intertwined with both the previous and the present governments. For some time now the GCB has been destroying our cricket by victimizing players, Associations and Boards and also through their inability to transition our talented players from the local to the international level.
CLAUDE RAPHAEL
Former Executive- GCB
Former Director-WICB

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