Foster seeking re-election for third successive term -says running on his record of achievements

Incumbent President of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB), Hilbert Foster, would on Sunday be seeking re-election to that position when the BCB holds its Annual General Meeting at the Port Mourant Cricket Club on the Corentyne.

A Vice President of the Guyana Cricket Board and a Director of Cricket West Indies, Foster, who was first elected to the BCB presidency in February 2018, has spearheaded a major transformation of Berbice cricket over the last four years.
Foster has said he has no interest in the politics of cricket, and would be running solely on his unmatched list of achievements. He inherited a cricket system that was on the verge of total collapse, and has said that despite achieving the impossible to date, much more still has to be done, as his intention is to make Berbice cricket the jewel in the crown of West Indies cricket.
Foster has said that when his administration took over administration of the BCB, there was less than fifty thousand dollars in the bank account, no proper tournament had been completed in two years, no developmental programme was in place, there was no proper office from which to operate, and players were quitting the game at an alarming rate. The old executives which were defeated by Foster and his slate did not even congratulate them on their win, and had refused to do the normal handing over of financial and administrative records.
He said that more than $2M had been withdrawn from the BCB account by the past administration, and to date, this sum has not been accounted for.
The current executives, which include leaders like Albert Smith, Angela Haniff, Dr Cecil Beharry, Leslie Soloman, Qualis Winter and Ameer Rahaman, have, from day one in office, worked as a collective body, and their record of achievements are unmatched in Guyana and the Caribbean cricketing circle.
The BCB has successfully completed a total of 75 cricket tournaments at the junior and senior levels; raised close to $60M in sponsorship of cash and kind; organised hundreds of developmental programmes; assisted clubs and youth players with more than $20M in items, and launched an ambitious educational campaign to make sure Berbice youth players place special emphasis on obtaining an educational background.
Hundreds of educational grants have been handed out to youths, along with educational materials, bicycles and uniforms, in a massive effort to get youths to stay in school. The BCB has, for the first time, sponsored a scholarship to the University of Guyana, and unveiled a countywide coaching programme which has trained thousands of youths.
The BCB has also created history when it became the first cricket board in Guyana to publish its own coaching manual and spearhead a total restoration of its office.
Other achievements include the distribution of grass cutters, catching cribs, water pitchers, cricket pitch covers; while, for the first time, sub-associations and the Umpires Association have received financial subventions.
There has also been heavy investment in female cricket by the BCB, and three Berbicians are now currently in the West Indies female team.
Moreover, Foster has pointed out that a total of 19 players from the ancient county have, since 2018, either played for the regional team at different levels, or were called to training camps.
Asked to name his greatest achievement, the veteran administrator has said he is very proud of the state of unity that exists in Berbice cricket, and the fact that dozens of former players based overseas are contributing to the game back at home. This, he stated, is based on their confidence in his team.
Another major achievement has been to make sure that no ghost member club exists in the county. Clubs like Guymine, Kildonan, and Mt Sinai are all back on their feet and are very active in playing tournaments.
Foster has also said that his administration has been very transparent with the general public via very aggressive public relations campaigns on social media and in the national print and electronic media. The 52-year-old BCB President has expressed gratitude to the hundreds of sponsors and donors who have support the board, and has made special mention of overseas-based Guyanese like Dr Tulsi Dyal Singh, Dr Puran Singh, Brian Ramphal, Sureain Sawh and Bobby Deonarine, among others.
Three sub-associations and 13 clubs would vote in the BCB’s AGM, and they are: the West Berbice Cricket Association, Upper Corentyne Cricket Association, Berbice River Cricket Association, Blairmont, Police, Guymine, Mental Hospital, Mt Sinai, Rose Hall Canje, Young Warriors, Chesney, RHTY&SC, Port Mourant, Albion, Kildonan and Whim. Each club has two votes, and each sub- association has four votes.