A prominent Barbadian cricket administrator has called on Cricket West Indies (CWI) not to recognise the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) as a stakeholder in regional cricket, because the current board is not legally recognised.
The commentator who spoke on the condition of anonymity explained: “The president of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Bissoondyal Singh, extended his term from two to four years without the approval of Parliament because their constitution is an act of parliament. The act clearly states the election in GCB must be held in January. It is spelt out clearly in the Administration Act.
The Cricket Administration Bill, which was passed in 2014, seeks to provide legal administrative guidelines for cricket. It allows the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to be established as a corporate body comprising the Demerara, Essequibo, and Berbice Cricket Boards, all of which are to be made corporate entities too.
A section of the act also addresses the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons to administrative positions. It will give power to the Minister of Sport, whose role will be to appoint the regulator.
The bill provides for better financial accountability, and as such, the GCB would be required to present timely audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as well as the National Sports Commission.
The administrator continued: “He was supposed to have an OGM in October for boards to submit nominations, which never took place. There must also be an advertisement in daily newspapers in Guyana before December 31, and none of these things took place.
“I am, therefore, calling on Cricket West Indies (CWI) to not recognise the GCB as a stakeholder at this point until they can have meaningful dialogue with the government of Guyana because at this point the GCB is illegally in place to run cricket in the country.”
Singh said, “That suggestion by that ‘Administrator’ is misleading ... The Guyana Cricket Administration Act has provisions in the Articles to amend all the constitutions of the Essequibo, Demerara, and Berbice (the three counties), including GCB, by the membership.”
“Also, it is not me who extended the tenure of office … it was the full membership, and it was passed unanimously. The president and executives of the GCB don’t vote … unless they are also members of the county boards ... it is the three county boards that moved the motion.”
Singh pointed to Schedule I – The Constitution of the Guyana Cricket Board, and page 26, under Section 24, states: Alteration and Interpretation of The Constitution: (a) “The Constitution of the Board may be added to, amended, or repealed by a resolution at a General Meeting that is supported by at least two-thirds of members voting and thereafter shall be included in the Constitution of the Board. Member boards shall be given 21 days notice of the General Meeting to discuss and vote on the resolution.”
In December, the GCB, as well as the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), failed to attend a board meeting of the regional cricket body as they were looking to implement governance recommendations made in the Wehby Report.
Come make your case: CWI president Shallow urges BCA and GCB
Meanwhile, Cricket West Indies (CWI) president Dr Kishore Shallow has emphasised that a special meeting scheduled for next month represents a critical opportunity for the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) to present their views on governance reform.
However, Shallow has made it clear that the regional body intends to move forward with or without their input.
“This time, I can state with a measure of certitude that we are going to proceed and progress with governance reform at that special meeting,” Shallow said during an appearance on WESN TV last Friday.
The BCA and GCB’s absence from a December 6 meeting to vote on the Wehby Report—recommendations made by Jamaican business mogul Don Wehby—resulted in the meeting being adjourned due to a lack of quorum.
Despite this, Shallow remains committed to advancing the reform process.
Shallow reiterated his commitment to inclusivity and urged the BCA and GCB to seize the opportunity provided by next month’s meeting.
“The special meeting will provide the perfect platform for you to come and lay out your case ... Come to the meeting and discuss. One thing that is certain under my leadership is an inclusive approach. Everyone gets a voice and an opportunity to voice their opinion,” Shallow declared.