APNU slams GCB's endorsement of Pres. Ali

APNU slams GCB’s endorsement of Pres. Ali

Jul 03, 2025 News

…Says board in breach of ICC rules

Kaieteur News- The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) is calling for the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to withdraw its public endorsement of President Irfaan Ali for a second term, condemning the move as inappropriate and politically biased. The political party also said that the endorsement is a breach of the International Cricket Council’s code of conduct and could land the GCB in trouble.

The endorsement came from GCB’s president, Bissoondyal Singh, who was re-elected in March 2025. Speaking at the Berbice Cricket Board’s annual awards ceremony on Monday at the St. Francis Community Developers in Rose Hall Town, Singh declared, “It is with absolute conviction and unwavering confidence that I, as president of the Guyana Cricket Board, and on behalf of its entire membership, hereby publicly and wholeheartedly endorse the leadership and presidency of H.E. Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali and that of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic.”

APNU says GCB in breach of ICC code by endorsing Pres. Ali for second term

Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton

This public alignment with a political party ahead of the general and regional elections scheduled for September 1, has sparked concerns and created further tensions in the upcoming polls.

In a statement issued on Thursday, APNU strongly criticised Singh’s actions, accusing the GCB of compromising its neutrality: “Without hesitation, we denounce this outrageous decision. We note that this endorsement is a logical follow-up to the occasion when the entire executive of the GCB wore red shirts when they called on President Ali after Bissoondyal Singh’s re-election in March 2025.”

As such, APNU is demanding that the GCB immediately withdraw its endorsement, arguing that such development from a board to take sides with a political party, would question the fairness and impartiality of the board regarding the question of selection, financial administration, and its alignment with international cricket norms.

President of GCB, Bissoondyal Singh

The party also raised concerns about possible breaches of international cricket regulations. Citing Article 2.4(d) of the International Cricket Council (ICC) Constitution, APNU reminded stakeholders of the ICC’s strict stance against political interference in cricket governance. “We are certain that this endorsement will put the GCB at odds with the CWI, as the ICC is most likely to ask about the GCB in Guyana endorsing a political candidate. President Bissoondyal must be reminded that the ICC did directly intervene in the administration of cricket in Guyana when a certain official with ties to the gambling world attempted to gain election as president of the West Indies Cricket Board. The ICC made it known that if that official were elected, he would not be welcome to participate in its proceedings,” the party stated. APNU also warned that the endorsement invites direct political influence in the GCB’s operations, a break from decades of political neutrality in Guyanese cricket administration, “The main bodies which have administered cricket in Guyana, first the British Guiana Cricket Board of Control ( BGCBC), and subsequently the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), through astute leadership, managed over the more than eighty years of cricket succeeded in avoiding the deadening hand of political interference to darken the administration of cricket in Guyana. In breaking with tradition, the GCB has ushered in a sad day for the administration of cricket. Worse, none of its members had the decency and courage to take a principled stand against this ill-considered and unacceptable decision,” APNU stated.

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Guyana Cricket Board, International Cricket Council’s code, People’s Progressive Party Civic, President Irfaan Ali

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