Following months of anticipation, the executives of the three county cricket boards in Guyana were able to meet to host a Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) election at Parc Rayne on Monday morning.
As a result, East Coast and Demerara Cricket Boards President Bissoondyal Singh was the man given the nod for the top spot.
On instruction from Culture, Youth and Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr and Cricket Ombudsman Kamal Ramkarran, Monday’s election comes after years of conflict within the governing cricket body in Guyana, which has found itself embroiled in several court matters over the last decade.
The GCB election was first slated for February 26, 2021 but was called off by the Ombudsman, due to issues raised on the part of the Essequibo Cricket Board.
Singh’s election to office was a unanimous one, with no one else being nominated for the post of President.
“Cricket as you know is in a terrible state and we have to start all the way from the bottom,” the newly- elected GCB President stated, moments after his election to the post.
The new executive body of the GCB. Seated are President Bissoondyal Singh, VP Rabindranauth Saywack (left) and VP Hilbert Foster (right)
Singh charged, in his first speech as GCB President, “We are not interested in confrontation, but just conversation. There are going to be programmes, policy and progress. And so, we crave your indulgence in this open policy that we impart with us. There are going to be partnerships with corporate Guyana as it relates to corporate governance. And so, without everyone, we will not be able to manage this monumental task. And so, we asked all Guyana to be our partner as we proceed to fix Guyana and lead West Indies cricket once again.”
While Singh, Vice Presidents Hilbert Foster and Rabindranauth Saywack occupy the top spots in the new executive, famous West Indian batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan was also given the nod for chairmanship of the senior selection panel.
“For the senior selection panel, we hereby present you, Ladies and Gentlemen, a person who is a very successful entrepreneur. Also, an exciting and flamboyant West Indian batsman or I should say former, captained Guyana, Demerara and the West Indies, captained Guyana when we won Stanford T20, Captain of the Guyana Amazon Warriors, represented the English county of Leicestershire, former Assistant Coach of the Jamaica Tallawahs, Ladies and gentlemen, the youngster that hails from Wakenaam – Ramnaresh Sarwan,” Singh announced.
Singh’s election means his automatic ascension as Guyana’s representative to Cricket West Indies, and Foster will be the accompanying Director to the Regional Board.
New GCB Executives:
President – Bissoondyal Singh
First Vice President (Administration) – Rabindranauth Saywack
Second Vice President (Cricket Development) – Hilbert Foster
Chairman of Competition Committee – Shaun Massiah
Public Relations Officer – Claude Raphael
Chairman of Marketing Committee – Mohamed Baksh
Treasurer – Prittipaul Jaigobin
Assistant Treasurer – Dr Cecil Beharry
Secretary – Ronald Williams
Assistant Secretary – Devdeerth Anandjit
Trustees – Elroy Stepheney
Andrew Forsythe
Auditors – Jack Alli, Sons & Co
Chairman, Junior Selection Panel – Andre Percival
Chairman, Senior Selection Panel – Ramnaresh Sarwan
Technocrat Members with right to vote:
Anil Beharry
Expert Technical Appointment – Roger Harper
