JCA vote 67-22 to support Cameron for WICB presidency

MEMBERS and affiliates of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) yesterday voted 67-22 to overturn the decision to support Barbadian Joel Garner ahead of Jamaican incumbent Whycliffe 'Dave' Cameron for the post of West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president.

On February 3, the JCA board of directors had voted 10-6 to support Garner, sparking a rift within the association after some members cried foul.

During yesterday afternoon's JCA annual general meeting at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel, Cameron found favour with the wider membership when the matter was put to a vote.

JCA President Wilford 'Billy' Heaven, who was criticised by some members for his handling of the initial vote to support Garner, told reporters yesterday that the move was taken to "put the issue to the general membership". The JCA boss added that members "will abide by" yesterday's outcome.

St James Cricket Association president Cecil Fletcher, who had tendered his resignation letter in apparent protest after directors had initially voted to support Garner, said that since he is "vindicated" he will continue to "serve" the JCA as director.

Fletcher had signed a draft resolution circulated on February 6, proposing a no-confidence motion against Heaven at the JCA AGM. However, it did not materialise during the meeting.

Some critics of Heaven, including JCA director Wayne Lewis, have said that while Cameron made a presentation to JCA board members ahead of the February 3 vote, the failure of a telephone link meant Garner was unable to do the same.

Yet, according to Lewis, who has been prominently vocal regarding his dissatisfaction with the process used to back Garner, the directors were still required to vote.

Yesterday, he said Garner's presentation had become unnecessary.

"We still never got the opportunity to hear from Garner. But the members spoke, you could feel it in the room that they didn't care too much about that because they knew exactly who they wanted to support.

"The wider constituents supported the Jamaican so the fact that they didn't hear from Garner became irrelevant to them because they knew that [initial] decision was an unjust decision and they wanted to make the wrong right," Lewis told the Jamaica Observer.

The WICB's AGM and election for president are slated for March 7 in Jamaica.

The two members to vote for Jamaica at the elections will be JCA Second Vice-president Osman Dann and Secretary Fritz Harris.

Cameron is seeking a second two-year term as head of the regional cricket board.

It is believed that some among the JCA lost faith in Cameron after the premature end to the West Indies tour of India late last year, due to players falling out with the WICB as well as with WIPA, the union representing them.

jamaicaobserver

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