BY DELVON MCEWAN
Cricket is an intriguing game that is simply described as played with a bat and a ball, between two teams of 11 players each.
One team bats, attempting to score runs while the other bowls and fields with the aim of restricting the scoring, and more importantly, dismissing the batsmen.
The objective of the game is for a team to score more runs than its opponent.
However, it provides more excitement and fascination than offers in its description. On this note, our country has contributed to its history some unforgettable moments and characters.
Clive Lloyd, arguably the best captain that the world has ever seen or modern-day Shivnarine Chanderpaul; probably the most difficult batsman to dismiss.
Nonetheless, the sport has been fading regionally and locally for quite some time and with the resignation of GCB officials within the past two months, there have been growing concerns surrounding the operations at the governing body of cricket.
In February, the President of the GCB, Dru Bahadur resigned and this was first made public through Guyana Times Sport, before a press release reached media houses the following day. His resignation came across as one that was done ‘secretly’, since he exited office since February, approximately two months before it reached the public domain.
According to the Accountant who has been operating a business – D Bahadur & Co Chartered Accountants for more than 15 years – the main reason for his resignation was solely due to business commitments, pointing out that his workload increased recently, so finding the time to function in two capacities would have been a bit difficult and due to this, and in the best interest of Guyana’s cricket, he stepped down so someone with the necessary time could do the job.
In the latest development at the GCB, national selector Rohan Sarjoo resigned last week, further suggesting that there is probably infighting at the Board level. Sarjoo and Bahadur’s resignations have raised concern about operations at the governing body for cricket.
Thirty-eight-year-old Sarjoo quit as a selector due to what he claimed are discrepancies in the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB).
Since then, there have been a lot of commentaries speculating what is occurring at the Regent Road office.
But prior to this, Chief Executive Officer of the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club (RHTY&SC), Hilbert Foster, had this to say while addressing those in attendance, including Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo and Director of Sport, Christopher Jones at his club’s 27th annual award ceremony in April: “From the days of Headley, Sobers, Kanhai, Lloyd, to the modern greats of Lara and Shivnarine Chanderpaul, it has been the one factor that has kept us together. It has made us proud to be West Indians and to let the world know that we are the best. Sadly, however, we have fallen from grace and today we are the laughing stock of the world and a West Indies victory is as rare as a diamond. 
Today Berbice cricket is in disarray due to the love for power at the county and national levels. People who have no vision, no capacity to manage are in charge despite not elected to do so. We as a country owe it to ourselves to make sure that Berbice cricket and Guyana’s cricket is preserved for our next generation. We cannot afford to lose the legacies of (John) Trim, (Rohan) Kanhai, (Basil) Butcher, (Ivan) Madray, (Roy) Fredericks, (Joe) Solomon, (Alvin) Kallicharran and (Mahendra) Nagamootoo, to be destroyed. Guyana has been successful in first class cricket, winning three titles but it was due to efforts of officials at several clubs, namely RHTY&SC, Demerara Cricket Club, Georgetown Cricket Club, Albion, Everest Cricket Club, Tucber Park and Young Warriors, who work diligently daily to make a difference.
Remove these clubs and Guyana’s cricket will die instantly. No cricket is played for club in Berbice, no coaching is done on and off the cricket field, unqualified coaches are selected to coach inter-county teams, five clubs move an illegal motion to remove a hardworking, dedicated and honoured senior administrator while unqualified empires are used in practice and inter-zone matches.
Players are targeted because of their clubs, coaches are told to leave certain clubs if they want significant coaching position at the county level while players are given ‘home made drinks’ and food with one small piece of chicken to survive for an entire day. Players practice every day with no cricket in sight and clubs depend on the RHTY&SC to organise tournaments. Berbice and Guyana’s cricket cannot go on like this.”
Indeed the sport has fallen from grace and will be buried if operations do not improve at the Board. Foster has touched on every point affecting the growth of the sport locally. He is well regarded in Guyana and is at the helm of the club that won the Guyana Cricket Board Club of the Year award for 2016.
