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India set to play ODIs in Guyana for 1st time in 30 years Regional U-19 Tournament switched to St Vincent
By Sean Devers
Guyana’s Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo meets with CWI President Ricky Skerritt.
After a meeting between Guyana’s Prime Minister Mosses Nagamootoo and Cricket West Indies’ President Ricky Skerritt, it was confirmed that the two ODIs between India and the Windies set for Guyana in early August will remain here.
However, the 2019 Regional U-19 tournament, which was fixed for August in Guyana, has been shifted to St Vincent, while GCB Elections could be held in January 2020.
These decisions were made in the wake of the decision by High Court Judge, Justice Fidela Corbin on April 3, 2019 which ruled that the executive committee of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) could not hold themselves out to be office bearers or perform functions of the Board.
The first ODI in Guyana was played on March 6, 1977 at Albion when West Indies beat Pakistan by four wickets in the first ever ODI in the West Indies, while the last ODI was contested on July 25, 2018 at Providence when West Indies beat Bangladesh by three runs.
In all, five ODIs have been played at Albion in Berbice, 10 at Bourda in the City and 21, including the 2007 World Cup, were played at the Providence Stadium on the East Bank of Demerara.
But surprisingly, India has only featured in two of the 31 ODIs in Guyana which is the only place in the West Indies that ODIs have been contested at more than two venues.
In a Country where the largest population comprise of descendants of East Indians who were brought here in 1838 as indentured servants from India, the fact that India has only played ODI cricket here twice (1983, when they beat the West Indies by 25 runs at Albion and at Bourda in 1989 when West Indies won by 101 runs) is an amazing statistic.
Guyanese were happy when it was announced that India will play two ODIs here in August with ‘sold out’ games anticipated.
But Guyana’s hosting of India was put in limbo when the Court made its ruling on the GCB Executives before a compromise was brokered by the GOG and CWI last weekend.
Sources indicates that during the meeting with the CWI and the former GCB executives, President Skerritt was brought up to date with information that he was not aware of but that no firm decisions were made.
The source however confirmed that the U-19 tournament had been removed from Guyana.
Another source had informed that the ‘CWI also expressed concern about the process of appointing the ombudsman and questioned whether meaningful consultations were had with the West Indies cricket board’.
But the source close to GCB said that ‘meaningful consultations did not mean that decisions had to be made and added that there were ‘lines of communications’ between former CWI President Dave Cameron and Guyana Sports Minister Dr George Norton on the appointment of the Cricket Ombudsman.
The source clarified that the Executives of CGI were not defendants in the GCB case and were free to go about their business of preparing the Guyana Jaguars franchise team and organising the local Franchise League.
Kaieteur Sports has seen correspondence sent to Sports Minister Norton from Cameron dated March 7.
Part of the correspondence, which was signed by Cameron, read “This letter confirms CWI support for the following:
(a) The appointment of Mr Steven Lewis, Attorney at Law, as Cricket Ombudsman, mutually agreed.
(b) The date for the GCB Elections is set for 26th January 2020 or on any date thereafter to fixed by the Cricket Ombudsman.
The source lamented that the likelihood CWI withholding funding to the GCB until Elections are held will not only hurt the board but also the development of Guyana’s cricket since some of those who worked during the Regional Women’s tournament and U-19 Inter-County competition has not been paid as yet.
The GCB has not held proper elections since 2011 and due to Court orders and injunctions Guyana’s cricket has been affected.
In 2014 the Regional Board moved a Test match to Barbados because of the passing of the Guyana Cricket Administration Billwhich among other things gives the Guyana Sports Minister the right to appoint a Cricket Ombudsman.
The Dave Cameron Administration removed the game claiming political interference in Cricket by the Guyana Government.
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