…GCB official provides incorrect information for VISA application
Windies under-19 World Cup squad left Barbados on Thursday evening enroute to England then New Zealand for the 2018 ICC Youth 50-over World Cup but one Guyanese player Joshua Persaud is still at home.
The shocking revelations as to why the talented wicketkeeper/batsman did not leave with fellow countrymen Ashmead Nedd, Ronaldo Alimohamed, Raymond Perez and Bhaskar Yadram on Wednesday morning for Barbados where the rest of the squad assembled, was given as a negligent error on the part of an official of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
By all indications it seems as if Joshua Persaud will have to wait longer than planned to join the Windies Under-19 World Cup Squad in New Zealand
According to a source close to the matter who wished to remain unnamed due to fears of victimization, “a GCB official was preparing all [of] the players’ documents and provided the wrong email address for Joshua. The British Embassy had sent him a mail since December 11 [2017] requesting additional information to complete his application but due to the incorrect email he was not notified and could not complete the process.”
It is understood that a similar incident occurred with another local player but that situation was quickly resolved due to awareness by the player’s relatives.
While it is still unknown whether Persaud will be able to join the team’s one-week preparation camp in the New Zealand, the source further revealed, “Cricket West Indies has taken over everything and are working to address the issue but we still don’t know when he will be able to leave here to join the squad.”
In the world cup, Windies U19, the defending champions are slated to have a series of warm-up matches early in January prior to their first match on January 13 against hosts New Zealand. The Caribbean side will then clash with South Africa four days later before their final group match against Kenya on January 20.
