The area in front of the Attorney General’s office on Carmichael Street in Georgetown yesterday morning became the venue where disgusted former cricketers, administrators of the game and cricket enthusiasts from various parts of the country chose to protest the unacceptable operation of an unconstitutional Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
A section of the protest
There, dozens of protesters peacefully, albeit loudly and bitterly, denounced events unfolding at the Regent Road Office of the Guyana Cricket Board, as they expressed the urgent need for that body to hold an election, since it is approaching a decade when one was last held. Situations were expected to improve with the passage in Parliament of the Cricket Administration Act in May 2014, but that law was never enforced although a Cricket Ombudsman, Dr. Winston McGowan, was appointed to overlook a procedure that should have allowed a return to normalcy.
Local cricket has since been on decline, but has most recently hit a new low with the unprecedented move by the GCB to allow national squads to depart these shores without the public’s knowledge of either the composition of the squad or its departure date.
While information on some of the squads is being released mere hours before they leave these shores, as obtained in the Under-17 team’s departure earlier in July, the Under-19 squad departed without being named; and as at this moment, no one is aware who the players are in that squad.
Most regrettably, the media was informed about the imminent departure of the Under-15 squad when they were at the airport preparing to wing out to Barbados at 14:52h yesterday.
Because of this kind of behaviour — compounded by the rapid decline in the sport; elections not being held for more than six years; players, coaches and clubs among those being discriminated against; and a myriad of issues affecting former players, administrators and enthusiasts — no course of action was available to the disaffected to air their grievances other than a peaceful protest.
According to former GCB executive and West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) operative, Claude Raphael, this is just the start of grievances being aired; plans are in place to step up the calls for free and fair election.
Raphael noted that it matters not who goes on to win the election, stakeholders would willing work with whomever is elected subsequent to an election.
The businessman says he is disappointed with the Government’s slothful approach to this matter after two years of being in office.
Meanwhile, West Berbice Cricket Association (WBCA) official Rabindranauth Saywack raised concerns in regard to the GCB playing an integral part in the destruction of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB). He opined that this was done so the GCB could have in the BCB people who would support the GCB.
Longstanding cricket devotee Cyril King was among the protesters. He questioned how a fraternity could be operating for so long without an election.
He also took the opportunity to rant about the AG needing to deliver on the numerous promises he had made to cricket in Guyana when he was in opposition.
The group of protestors is expected to again air their grievances in a public forum on Wednesday at the Malteenoes Sports Club (MSC) Pavilion at Thomas Lands.
