Sports Minister to bowl first ball to open BMC tourney

Nov 08, 2020 Sports

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– As ‘Masters Cricket league set to bowl off Nov 22

By Sean Devers

BIG MAN CRICKET (BMC) T25 tournament in scheduled to be held in Guyana from November 22, to December 8, 2020 and has attracted 11 teams from across the country including a Rastafarian team.
If fully sponsored, the winning team could take home $500,000 with the runners-up pocketing $200,000. The tournament’s MVP, the batsman with the most runs, bowler with the most wickets, the Keeper with the most dismissals and the fielder with the most catches, will all be rewarded for their efforts.
Director of the tournament, former East Bank batsman and Ex GCB executive Raj Singh, speaking from Miami vie Zoom on Friday night’s Sean Devers’ Sports Watch on Kaieteur Radio, said the tournament will be played on a 25 overs a side basis with the players being 45 years or older.
“It should be noted that this is an historic event for our veteran cricketers as no such tournament has ever been held in Guyana on a countrywide basis.
Our organization had applied to the COVID-19 Task Force and has received the requisite permission to host this tournament during this period observing all restrictions to help curb the spread of the global pandemic,” explained Singh.
However, although none of the former Cricketers are contracted as players by the GCB or CGI and the tournament is not under the auspices of the ICC or CWI, Singh and his team hit an unexpected hurdle.
“We had also asked the Guyana Cricket Board for their blessings for this BIG MAN CRICKET Tournament which has been shot down by that body for, obviously, non- cricketing reasons. The GCB claims to have a sanctioned Over-40 competition which we have never heard about until our application.
Noteworthy is the fact that the GCB has never hosted an Over 40s competition in its 77-year history. Our Organization welcomes an Over-40 competition by the GCB as it will clearly dovetail and can be used as feeder for our Over 45s BMC Tournament rather than be an infringement,” Singh lamented.
“Our Committee waited until we obtained the Covid Task Force approval on November 1, prior to applying to the GCB for its blessings. The GCB’s decision will only serve to eliminate the Guyanese players from the selection to the Guyana team and will also eliminate their possible representation from a Guyana team at the Regional tournament and, ultimately, the West Indies Over 50s team,” stated Singh, who informed that the BMC-G committee wrote to the CWI President and the Guyana Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
“Our revolutionary Tournament is aimed at keeping our retired cricketers adopting a healthier lifestyle and to have them serve as role models for youths in the various clubs and their communities across the country. These players can also look forward to the opportunity to represent their country and the West Indies at a World Cup, something which they can cherish since some of them may have been on the cusp of selection for either team and never picked for various reasons.
We trust that you would understand the thrust of our Tournament and future plans which are not intended to infringe on any organisation’s cricket programme,” Singh continued.
He added that Minister Charles Ramson (a former left-arm spinner for Everest at Division one level) has supported the Event and will bowl the first ball to officially open the tournament.
This tournament is being administered by the Organization called BIG MAN CRICKET-GUYANA (BMC-G) comprised of four persons; Raj Singh, Dave Narine (both in the USA) along with John Ramsingh and Timothy Bhagwandin.
“BIG MAN CRICKET-GUYANA has adopted the cricket administration for Over 45s cricket in Guyana and is affiliated with CRICKET WEST INDIES MASTERS ASSOCATION (CWIMA). CWIMA has also taken charge of creating cricket structures around the Caribbean to ensure that there are administrators in each country across the Caribbean. CWIMA is directly affiliated with the Over 50s World Cup cricket. The Over 50s World Cup cricket is a private affair totally outside of the ICC.
As such BMC is a totally private event and the BMC-G has decided to hold its first tournament as an Over 45s T25 overs affair. There has never been a veterans’ association or body administering masters’ cricket in Guyana,” posited Singh.
The major objectives behind this BMC Tournament are as follow:
• Attract and develop a quality pool of retired cricketers in Guyana who are interested in becoming active once again and motivated enough to make a Guyana and a West Indies team.
• We plan to make this Over 45s T25 overs tournament an annual one and can be used as a fundraising affair for BMC-G every year as we plan to run off an Over-45, 45 overs tournament also later in the year as the World Cup is a 45 overs Tournament.
• The BMC Tournament will be used to select the Guyana Over 50s T25 team to participate in the CWIMA Regional Over 50s T25 tournament to be held early in 2021
• This Tournament will surely encourage these players to lead healthier lifestyles as they all would be aiming for the glory of representing the West Indies at the Over-50s World Cup. This would ultimately lead to healthier nations within our communities.
• The players in this BMC tournament will serve as role models for their kids and youths in their community to emulate.
• Players from their era in the 80s and the 90s plied their trade in a very proud, disciplined and committed environment and, hopefully, these values can be instilled into the youths around.
• In addition, we think that this BMC competition can attract more of our youths to return to the game of cricket when they witness these seasoned and disciplined players in action.
• Promote more Regional tournaments within these age groups.
• These players can surely assist in the strengthening of our Clubs around the CountryServing in various capacities in their communities as administrators, coaches, umpires, scorers, match referees and selectors
Games are scheduled to be contested at Albion, the venue for West Indies’ ODI win in 1977 when they beat Pakistan in the first ODI in the West Indies and Bourda where West Indies achieved their first Test victory against England in the third Test in 1930.
The beautiful Imam Bacchus ground on the Essequibo Coast is another of several grounds to be used as the tournament will be played in all three Counties in Guyana.
Guyana’s leading run-scorer in Test Shiv Chanderpaul, only behind Brian Lara in West Indies cricket, is likely to be among several former Guyana players expected to participate.
The semi-finals and Final will be streamed live with commentary by Guyana’s International commentators.

 

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