“The People’s Progressive Party views as outrageous and without merit, the decision by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), to remove Guyana as a host to the third test match between West Indies and New Zealand from June 26-30″, General Secretary of the party, Clement Rohee, said yesterday.
“The WICB’s claim that the decision to remove the test match from Guyana was based on their “concerns†with the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill is nothing but a façade for some ulterior motive.
The Guyana Cricket Administration Bill merely seeks to bring transparency, accountability, and good governance to the administration of cricket in Guyana and to address the plethora of allegations of rigged and fraudulent elections, financial irregularities and lack of accountability in respect of cricket administration and does not allow for government’s involvement in the sport,†Mr. Rohee pointed out.
Mr. Rohee, who is also Home Affairs Minister, continued by informing, “In view of this the PPP rejects the assertion by Mr Cameron that the bill will lead to a government takeover of the sport.
The PPP calls on Mr Cameron and the WICB to explain to the Guyanese people and more so the Caribbean, the real reason for the withdrawal of the game from Guyana and in whose interest this decision was taken, certainly not in the interest of cricket.
The PPP shares the view of the Government that the West Indies Cricket Board maybe looking for a scapegoat in this matter, since their agents in Guyana was restraint by a Court Order from acting or holding themselves out as officers of the Guyana Cricket Board and as agents of the WICB.â€
â€What is sad is the fact that the Guyanese Director, Mr. Anand Sanasie sat at the WICB meeting either silently or voiced his support for the decision to remove the test match from Guyana.
This is the kind of character who wants to manage Guyana’s cricket, when they are willing to sell their souls to remain relevant and in change of the sport in Guyana.
We call on Mr. Sanasie to resign as the Guyanese Director in the WICB, as he proved he is of no worth to represent the interest of Guyanese players and cricket fans,†Mr Rohee stated.
He continued, “We call on the WICB to instantly reverse its decision and return the match to Guyana, cricket is owned by the people of the Caribbean and as Guyanese were are entitled to the opportunity to see our team play, we call on all Guyanese and the rest of the Caribbean to join us in ensuring that the 3rd test match is returned to the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
We cannot agree more with celebrated former Guyana and West Indies middle order batsman the great Basil Butcher that the decision to starve Guyana of international cricket is a ‘backward step’, since the game is one of the key elements that transcend cultural differences and brings people together.â€
“The PPP will also like to state that we are not surprised at the flare up of the Alliance for Change, which seems to stand lonely on this matter. It is this very party that prides itself as a bastion of accountability, transparency and good governance, which has now joined the WICB bandwagon that is attempting to meddle in the internal affairs of our country and thwart our constitutionally enshrined law making process.
The AFC’s deception continues to raise its head in every single thing they are involved in, like the double messages they take to our citizens in various parts of the country, the AFC participated in the Parliamentary Select Committee on the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill that produced a consensus report, but withheld support for the bill in the National Assembly.
The AFC is in “lost land†on this and almost every other matter of national importance, as they remain out of touch with the realities,†Mr Rohee concluded.
