No ethnic discrimination in cricket

Jul 23, 2018 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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When the APNU+AFC assumed office in 2015, it undertook the task of sweeping away the remnants of the PPPC rule. One of its first acts was the purging of the state sector of persons whom it felt were aligned to the PPPC. The second task was the reconstitution of Boards of the State, an act which showed how venomous and controlling the APNU+AFC intended to become.
The lists of reconstituted Boards were published. And immediately there was a strong reaction and rejection, including from within the coalition, that the nominated Boards lacked gender and ethnic balance. It was the first signal of what was to be expected of APNU dominance of the coalition and of the government.
The outcry was so vociferous that the coalition was forced to reconstitute its original lists to ensure greater balance.
Since then things have not improved. Rather it has gotten worse. The need for ethnic balance, in particular, has been thrown out with the bathwater. A more detailed analysis of ethnic imbalance within the government will be done at a later date but a good measure of the imbalance with the government is the ethnic makeup of permanent secretaries, regional executive officers and heads of government agencies. No one is protesting this imbalance. In fact, the need to dismantle what is seen as the ethno-centric PPP state is often cited as a justification for the present imbalance.
Ethnic balance within sport cannot take precedence over ethnic balance of the government. Ethnic balance is one of the ways in which the government can demonstrate that it committed to an economic, political and social inclusiveness. It will demonstrate that the government is firmly on the path to ensuring fairness within government.
Yet, this is the one area where the government has failed palpably. Daily the newscast carries stories of government officials interfacing with the public. And the imbalance of government teams at head tables is staggering. And this, unfortunately, is the image which is presented to the public and the outside world. It is more often than not a one-sided image.
This is not the sort of image that is going to promote confidence. It is not the type of image that will allow Guyana to banish, once and for all, the bogey of race. Yet, the government seems oblivious for greater ethnic balance in the state. It is rushing headlong into a collision with those who will argue that there is ethnic imbalance of the state.
The nonsense that is being peddled about cricket being a national sport and that certain clubs and players feel marginalized and discriminated is pure poppycock. This is the line that has been peddled, after all others have failed, to allow for a change in the administration.
It was therefore shocking and disgraceful that instead of dealing with the challenges of ethnic balance within the state, that putrid nonsense can be spewed about ethnic imbalance in cricket administration. Perhaps, if those making such silly claims take the time to carefully observe cricket, they will realize that there are lessons in cricket for the state.
Cricket administration in Guyana operates at various levels. There are clubs at the levels of associations and these cubs are represented by their associations and it is the associations that eventually vote at the national level.
Cricket has proven, time and time again, that it is a unifying force. When the Guyana cricket team plays in regional tournaments, they enjoy the support of all races of Guyanese. No one player has been denied a place in the team on the grounds of ethnicity. This has never been the case in Guyana.
There will obviously be differences of opinion as to selections for the team. Some players will feel that they ought to have been on the team. But there was never a case whereby any player has said that he was not selected because of his ethnicity. He may claim that the selectors have their favorites but never the claim of ethnic discrimination.
So if players are not suffering from ethnic discrimination, why the preoccupation with the ethnicity of those who administer cricket? The reason as previously pointed out is that this is the last straw of desperate men.
There is a petty power struggle taking place within cricket administration. The PPP were the instigators of this power struggle because they wanted to get control not just of Guyana cricket but also West Indian cricket as part of the grand plan to control the commercial aspects of the regional game. The PPP went as far as bringing back a West Indian legend whom they had hoped would eventually head the West Indies Cricket Board.
The PPP failed to hijack the administration of cricket. The APNU+AFC must not be encouraged to do the same.

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