Can Guyana Cricket be saved? The judiciary, government and people must decide

Mar 17, 2019 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I read with keen interest a letter from a Mr. Boston published in the Kaieteur News on March 10 2019 and Mr. Marvin Burns published in the same media outfit on March 14 and captioned “Why is Linden being shut-out of Guyana’s Cricket?”
Editor, in my research, I find that this is a serious national issue when you read Dr. David Hinds narrating on several occasions as it relates to discrimination and cricket in Guyana. I would like to refer to his article dated July 8, 2018 published in the Kaieteur News and captioned “Dictatorship and Racism in Guyanese Cricket — Can we talk about this, Mr. Jagdeo?” This is what he wrote – One area in which this domination I am talking about is most evident is cricket—our national sport. Cricket administration in Guyana has been completely racialized in favour of one ethnic group…What does this mean? It essentially means that the monies that go to the respective governing groups are controlled by members of one ethnic group. It also means that this group controls all decision making in relation to national cricket, including how and where the money is spent and who gets selected to represent Guyana.
And so, Editor, this is indeed a worrying situation and should not be tolerated in this day and age!
This is what Mr. Burns said in his letter – But to date, almost five years later, we are still swirling in the wilderness, with our players being totally shut out and our administrators and the Upper Demerara Cricket Association (UDCA) not being allowed to participate in any function as stipulated by the law. Linden and/or the UDCA seem to have been abandoned by all and sundry. We have not received any funding from the relevant authorities and so we are left in the wilderness to struggle for survival, even with the law on our side. He went onto say that – We are simply begging those in authority (the Politicians on both sides, the Judiciary, the people of Guyana etc.) – please give the youngsters of Linden the opportunity they are entitled to by law. It is their civil right.
You see Mr. Editor, this is a conversation that must take place and not to be dismissed as ‘TABOO”. Let us examine the issues at hand:
1.There are allegations that there are rigged elections at the level at the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
2.There is one ethnic group that is in control of Guyana’s Cricket
3.Racial and other forms of discrimination are prevalent and done in a particular manner to benefit the politicians.
4.The judiciary seems incapable or unwilling to bring this atrocity to an end
5.African Guyanese leaders have failed to address the racial implications of the cricket issue
6.The politicians believe cricket can be used as a political football
In the case of Mr. Boston, he made some serious assertions and cast full blame on the politicians and also the judiciary. He said that there have been many court cases and injunctions in the cricket scene. He couldn’t understand why our cricket problems have not been resolved.
I hope the Politicians, the Government, the Judiciary and the citizens of Guyana including those who live abroad make their voices heard if not all of us will be consumed in this cricket chaos. Let me list the last purported executives of Guyana Cricket Board which has been in place on the GCB Website since GCB.
1.Mr. Drubhadur – President
2.Mr. Fizul Bacchus – Vice president (Administration)
3.Mr. Anand Sanasie – Secretary
4.Mr. Virendra Chintamani – Assistant Secretary
5.Mr. Anand Kalladeen –Treasurer
6.Mr. Colin Europe – Competitions Chairman
7.Mr. Rajendra Singh – Marketing Manager
8.Mr. Andy Ramnarine – Public Relations officer
9.Mr. Rayon Griffith – Chairman of Senior Selectors
10.Mr. Nazimul Drepaul – Chairman of Junior Selectors
11.Mr. Anil Beharry – President Berbice Cricket Board
Can the above gentlemen (nine (9) East Indian Guyanese and two (2) African Guyanese) tell the nation how were they elected and by whom? And since the passage of the Cricket Administration Act in 2014, who conducted the elections of the Guyana Cricket Board as is required by the very Act under section 17 that an Ombudsman appointed by the Minister shall conduct those elections. And if this lawful process did not occur, how is it that these gentlemen are still in office when the law states clearly that the tenure in office is two (2) years. This makes the current Cricket Board Executives illegal.
I reside in the USA and with the help of a relative we collected all the outstanding court matters concerning cricket from the registry. There are so many as it relates the DCB and the GCB of which all are related to fraudulent elections. What is more shocking is that they are languishing in the judicial system for more than ten (10) years, while this cabal is in-charge of Guyana’s Cricket.
The more recent matter in a Fixed Date Application (FDA) filed in July 2018 by the Berbice Cricket Board, the Government of Guyana in a sworn affidavit (2018-HC-DEM-CIV-FDA) had made two (2) shocking revelations.
a. that the purported executives of the GCB have hijacked the Guyana Cricket Board
b. that the purported executives of the GCB are invalid and illegal.
So if a Government is saying so, how then are they still in charge of Guyana’s Cricket and are being allowed to vote at the up-coming Cricket West Indies elections on March 24, 2019?
Now that the Government has made this bold declaration in an affidavit, the ball in now with the Judiciary.

Yours faithfully,
Dr. Archibald R. L. Adams – PhD, MD, FRCS.

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