‘Greatest success was completion of LBI facility’- CGI’s Sanasie

Jan 03, 2020 Sports

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By Sean Devers

A Director on Cricket West Indies and Secretary of the Guyana Cricket Board, Anand Sanasie, says, CGI’s greatest success for 2019 was being able to compete the playing area at the LBI facility on the East Coast Demerara despite the financial and court challenges.

“The GCB realised many years ago that there was a need for a cricket special training venue, hence we built the Chetram Singh Centre of excellence, it took us five years to negotiate a lease on the entire LBI facility, in less than a year we have completed the playing surface,” Sanasie explained.
It is understood that Guysuco has given CGI a 99-year lease and Sanasie and GCB’s TDO Colin Stuart had explained plans for the venue in a visit by Kaieteur Sports during first quarter of this year.
They had said that while construction was ongoing on beyond the boundary the focus was completing the playing area and laying the pitches.
The installation of Lights was also among the plans to transform the venue, which hosted Senior Inter-County matches, into a state of the art facility which when completed would rented out for various Sporting and Cultural events to generate funding to help sustain the venue.
“Our intention is to centralize all training operations there with world class facilities. In three years we should be in a posi

tion to challenge any similar facility for regional fixtures and I can say that the LBI facility will do wonders for our development programme,” said Sanasie about the project which is his brain child.
Sanasie, who has as GCB Secretary since 2012, feels the local franchises system is growing year by year.
“It is a product in the making and its benefits can already be seen as we are able to unearth young talent every year to feed a robust cricket academy and regional talent pool. It offers opportunities to players and officials not available in the Inter County system,” said CGI Director.
The GCB Academy was set up a few years and the players are paid a month salary to train.
“The Academy setup has proven to be brilliant as our under 19 and fringe players to the regional squad can train together with their Senior counterparts and be prepared at a moment’s notice to represent Guyana,” said Sanasie.
The Guyana Jaguars under the leadership of the Region’s most successful Captain, Leon Johnson, has won five First-Class titles in a row but only Keemo Paul and Shimron Hetymer were selected for the West Indies Test team

during 2019.
Wicket-Keeper Anthony Bramble scored 580 runs including two centuries and had the most dismissals in the tournament but was not even picked for the ‘A’ team.
“It is my opinion that our players should put in consistent performances at CWI regional tournaments and ‘A’ teams and the result should be selection at the higher level.
Yes! there is the perception that our players are not being given the opportunities but I would say to them keep beating on the door and speak with your on-field performance,” Sanasie stated.
The GCB Executive disclosed that he was satisfied with the development of the Regional players.
“Developing the Regional players has been our focus over the past five years, at all levels, and no other Territorial Board has been as successful as Guyana, despite the optic of who are actually selected to

represent West Indies,” noted Sanasie.
Sanasie informed that the biggest challenge to cricket in Guyana currently and for the past five years has been the numerous court matters filed against the Board by those that have little understanding of the GCB/CGI operations.
“In some cases, by individuals who are simply looking for a job without any consideration for the next generation of cricketers. The GCB has so far prevailed in ensuring the youths of Guyana have every opportunity,” Sanasie claimed.
With regards to Female Cricket, Sanasie disclosed that the Board has already started a robust female cricket development programme by having an Under-17 franchise tournament to feed the National Inter County tournament.
“Already we have seen a reasonable amount of interest and talent has emerged from that tournament. Guyana is slated to host the senior regional women’s tournament for the next three years. So we are hoping to dovetail some more developmental initiatives to go along with a full franchise tournament,” Sanasie said.
There is no functioning Demerara Board, but judging from talks in the Cricketing fraternity it is likely that the Essequibo Board will support the incumbent Board, while the BCB is looking for a change in the Administration.
When asked about the GBC Elections, Sanasie noted that notice for GCB election was published in Kaieteur News stating that the Elections are set for January 26, 2020.
“In the new year the GCB intends to foster relationships with its members while ensuring that the rules and regulations are followed, we are hoping to settle many of the perceived issues and put the cricket first, at least from our side,” concluded Sanasie, arguably the most influential person in Guyana’s cricket.
The Board ended the year with the first of two practice matches in preparation for their title defence which starts in Antigua on January 9.
The GCB also hosted their annual Awards Ceremony at which CWI Vice-President Dr. Shallow provided the feature address and was very impressed by the Franchise League.

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