Politicians and the Judiciary have beenextremely disappointing in our Cricket Crisis

Mar 10, 2019 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Our Cricket – How Politics and the Judiciary have adversely impacted the Development of our youths in Linden, East Coast Demerara, Georgetown and Berbice.
In 2011 a cabal of ‘businessmen’ hijacked the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). Since then there has not been any democratically held elections of the GCB.
Naturally the then PPP/C government was not too anxious to intervene since their boys were in total control and their constituents were the beneficiaries in Essequibo, West Demerara and East Bank Demerara, where the hijackers came from.
All other stakeholders in cricket playing areas such as Berbice, East Coast Demerara, Georgetown and Linden were deliberately ostracized because they dared to oppose the illegality. They still are.
Berbice Cricket Board eventually challenged the hijacking in August 2011 but to date this alarming illegality still exists. After constant pressure by the stakeholders and the ruling of Chief Justice Ag Ian Chang, the PPP/C Government eventually introduced a Bill for legalizing our cricket as a way of returning it to normalcy.
After twenty-two (22) meetings of the Parliamentary Cricket Sub-committee the Law was passed and assented to by President Donald Ramotar in August 2014, with full support from the majority opposition.
The GCB immediately challenged the law citing the Attorney General and Minister of Sport as defendants because it was not in their interest to have legality in the cricket structure.
This matter lasted until May 2017 under the present APNU/AFC Government when that challenge was dismissed as abandoned.
Yet to date this group of cricket hijackers continue to control our cricket with blatant discrimination and lawlessness whilst politicians of both the previous and current governments and the courts seem palpably impotent in resolving this unacceptable state of affairs.
The PPP/C government is silent on this issue, despite their public stand on democratically held elections, maybe because:
(a) 95% of the group that hijacked the GCB is a certain sect looking at the composition of the Boards they represent.
(b) The youths in their constituencies benefit from gears, funds etc, while those in Linden, Georgetown, Buxton, Golden Grove, Providence, Plasiance, BV and some Berbice clubs have been totally excluded for years.
Despite the inclusion of Linden as a lawful member of the cricket administration act 2014, the youngsters of that region have not been allowed to participate in any cricket tournaments, and subsequently are not favoured with any opportunity to represent their county, country or the West Indies (WI).
(c) They evidently recognize and appreciate the negative impact that frustrating the youngsters in the predominantly APNU/AFC constituencies could have on the general elections.
Meanwhile the current government:
(a) Despite the proven illegality of the current GCB.
(b) Despite the leadership’s helplessness of their ability to ensure that the youngsters are treated fairly.
(c) Despite government’s recognition (by Affidavit ofDefense -: 2018-HC-DEM-CIV-FDA) of the illegality of the current cricket hijackers, they willingly embrace the hijackers by attending/supporting their functions. How could the Prime Minister and the Minster of Sport attend the GCB awards Ceremony knowing that the Executive are illegally occupying the positions, and the Minister of Sport quoted as praising the illegal members of “keeping cricket alive”. Are the youngsters who suffer in Linden, East Coast, Georgetown and Berbice, being kept alive by this despotic group?
Evidently the Hon. Minister is not aware that cricket has been “kept alive” by the magnificent efforts of Roger Harper Georgetown Cricket Association, Bissoondyal Singh East Coast Cricket Board, and Keith Foster, Anil Beharry and now Hilbert Foster of the Berbice Cricket Board. A routine check of the newspapers for the past ten (10) years will reveal which areas have been playing cricket and from where our national cricketers have been provided, despite the lawlessness.
Certainly not from Essequibo, West Demerara nor East Bank areas that have, notwithstanding provided all the current illegal administrators, without any semblance of a democratic process.
With regards to the judiciary, the illegality of the GCB had been languishing in the courts for three (3) years until the law was passed in 2014 and a further four and a half (4 ½) years since then totaling approx. eight (8) years to date.
Is it fair to the youngsters of Guyana who have been promised so many opportunities? The PPP/C is turning Hell and High water to have an early general election, but sits mum on the long outstanding need for Democratic Elections of the Guyana Cricket Board. How does this look? In this time of fixed date applications new court system that is supposed to expedite the process of justice and fair play, what is delaying the process?
What is evident and strange is that cricket matters take exceptionally long in Georgetown but not Berbice where the cricket illegality there was expeditiously handled and the Democratic process is presently working positively for cricket in Berbice.
However, an application made to the high court for a ruling on the GCB and the appointment of the Ombudsman is extremely important for establishing the illegitimacy of GCB especially with Elections of Officials at the West Indies Cricket Board to be held on 24th March, 2019. Why is it taking so long for our courts to rule?
The implication for order and legality of Cricket West Indies would be seriously challenged if our illegal hijackers are allowed to attend and vote at these upcoming elections, without a ruling on the current matter before the court.
I ask the Politicians of the PPP/C, APNU/AFC, the judiciary the media and indeed all fair-minded Guyanese what we are doing for our cricket. There seems to be more questions than answers, whilst the GCB continues its lawlessness and decadence in our beloved cricket.
Our youngsters are very much aggrieved; they deserve much better.

Winston G. Boston

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