“I can transform Berbice Cricket in 6 months” – Foster

– RHTY&SC CEO considering vying for BCB presidency

By Akeem Greene

Hilbert Foster, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Rose Hall Town Youth & Sports Club (RHTY&SC), is considering make a pitch to become next president of the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB).
In an interview with Guyana Times Sport, Foster declared, “I made Berbice Cricket the envy of cricket in the Caribbean; but I shouldn’t be blowing my own trumpet, so you can ask others. I can transform Berbice Cricket in six months”.
A ruling delivered by Justice Navindra Singh on September 8, 2017 stipulated that the BCB must host its Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 8, 2017 with the purpose of electing officer bearers of the board.
In other sections of the media, former West Indies cricketers Ramnaresh Sarwan and Mahendra Nagamootoo have voiced their concern over the state of affairs in cricket in Berbice, and have contended that Foster “is the man for the job”.
According to Foster, he will first discuss the possibility of contesting for the new role with his family, before making any final pronouncement.
Should he become BCB president, he explained, re-introduction of county- wide tournaments will be high on the BCB agenda.
“We need tournaments. We have thousands of cricketers practising every day with nothing to look forward to. The only cricket that is being played is that organised by our club. Our First Division team, which comprises numerous national players and a Test player, has played one match this year. Last year it (played) possibly just three”, Foster disclosed.
“I’m quite sure if a new management under me goes in, there can be change. When I was chairman of the Special Committee, Berbice had over 15 tournaments being played, bearing in mind Guyana Cricket Board did not give any money to the Berbice Cricket Board during my brother’s [Keith Foster’s] six years as president [2008-2014].
“In seven years of service on that special committee, I did over 1700 projects for Berbice Cricket”, he added.
The last election held by the BCB was in December 2014, when Anil Beharry was elected president, replacing Keith Foster.
It is understood that Godwyn Allicock of the Port Mourant Cricket Club and David Black of the West Berbice Cricket Association sought and were granted a court injunction against the BCB on the grounds that two clubs [Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club and Young Achievers] were not supposed to vote at BCB elections because their names were left out of the Cricket Administration Bill.
This caused the Beharry-led Berbice Cricket Board to be unable to meet for its entire term. According to the Cricket Bill, that term ended in December, 2015 – after one year.
In a letter dated 29th January, 2017, Beharry resigned from the BCB presidency, and the elected vice-president, Dhieranidranauth Somwaru, preformed duties of acting president. According to him, the injunction was subsequently withdrawn.