The President should have a conversation with young Ramson
Kaieteur News – President of Guyana, Dr. Mr. Irfaan Ali, considered carefully Mr. Charles Ramson Jnr. as Minister for Culture, Youth and Sport. The decision to de-recognize the Guyana Cricket Board and prohibit officials from accessing the National Stadium is more associated with the Donald Trump administration than a democratically elected government that has promised to include it.
Such heavy acts have no place in democratic governance. And it should not be excused or confronted.
The current impasse was triggered by a mere difference of opinion as to whether the National Stadium was damaged following a football match held there under sodden conditions over the holidays. The Guyana Cricket Board states that the pitch and outfield were damaged and that it considered that the playing of the football game should not have been allowed under such conditions.
This assessment was supported by National Stadium Manager, Anthony Xavier. He was quoted by the Kaieteur News as saying, “The six pitches on the square and almost the entire playing area on the ground, including the bowler’s runs are in terrible condition because of the Football played there in the rain . “He further contacted that the Stadium’s Chief Curator had stated that it would take at least six weeks to shape the venue for cricket.
The Minister did not agree with the assessment of the ‘square’ and pitch damage and, following a tour of the stadium, ended up at the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). He was quoted in the media as saying, ‘It has been brought to my attention that a body calling themselves (sic) GCB is writing to the… ”This was later followed by a ban of GCB officials assessing the stadium, and a statement that body is effectively de-recognized.
This Ministerial response represents an overlap. It is difficult to reconcile the GCB’s lack of recognition due to the violation of the Cricket Administration Act when the government has not legally challenged any such offense. On the contrary, the GCB has challenged the legality of the Cricket Administration Act.
Furthermore, the GCB has not been de-legalized by the Courts or the West Indies Cricket Board. The GCB remains the representative body for cricket in Guyana.
It is equally difficult to reconcile the Minister’s de-recognition of the GCB with that body’s revelation that the actual Minister, having taken office, had called the GCB to a meeting where all executives , except three, were present. This contradicts the current claim that the GCB has been de-recognized for the past five months. The GCB could not have been de-recognized if invited to meet the Minister.
The PPPC administration is once again pursuing conflicts with the GCB. This approach will hurt local cricket at a time when many Guyanese cricketers have a great opportunity to become permanent fixtures in West Indies cricket teams.
Already, the reckless decision to hold football at the stadium has impacted the local team’s preparation as the ground cannot be ready in time for the three test matches that Guyana’s side will represent choice of them. This means that the local team will be denied the chance to have test matches on the turf where one of the rounds of the Super 50 tournament takes place.
The public has every reason to worry about government actions. Guyana competes with more than 13 other territories for hosting regional and international cricket matches. The International Cricket Council (ICC) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) have strict standards that must be met for the conduct of matches. If Guyana hopes to have any hope of hosting any major tournament or visiting an international team, it cannot afford to have problems with its ground and field preparation.
The issue of de-recognition of the GCB is damaging. The ICC has codes against political interference in the administration of cricket. The ICC Constitution prohibits political interference in the administration of cricket. In 2019 Zimbabwe was banned from the ICC due to government intervention in cricket administration.
The recent act of preventing GCB officials from accessing the National Stadium is petty, arrogant and dictatorial. A simple difference of opinion on whether a football match should have been held in wet weather should not have led to such imperious actions.
Today it is cricket, tomorrow it may be some other sport that comes under the hammer. The President has a duty to stop this more cavalier form of governance. It is incumbent upon him to act now to bring executive compensation. (The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of this newspaper.)