GCB and CGI respond to Guyana Times article

GCB and CGI respond to Guyana Times article
GCB  6 MAY 2015  LOCAL NEWS
The Executive and Directors of both companies, the GCB and the CGI are extremely disturbed at the continuous hostile and reckless reporting that emanates from a specific reporter employed with the Guyana Times newspaper. This said reporter has been reported numerous times to the management of the Guyana Times newspaper but seems hell bent on his agenda to embarrass and/or destroy these entities with his careless and negative style of reporting against the GCB, the CGI and its officials.

Our latest complaint arose from an article appearing in today’s issue(May 4th) captioned ‘Second-string Demerara beaten by 6 wickets’ that he reported upon regarding the games organised by the ‘Friends of PPP’ at the Albion Community Center on Saturday, May 2nd. The reporter accused the GCB of not issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to the Demerara players and further went on to recklessly accuse our Secretary of threatening the players. This style of reporting is wholly unacceptable to us administrators and has only served to incense an already very hostile political environment along with the possible endangerment to the lives of our Honorary Secretary and the entire Executive of the GCB and the Directors of the CGI. The GCB and CGI strongly rebukes these wanton accusations against our officials and wish to advise that we have consulted with our attorneys on the best course of action to protect the integrity and security of its officials.

The GCB had received an application from a group calling themselves ‘Friends of the PPP’ who intended to host a series of matches on May 2nd which they dubbed as May Day Cup 2015 as a fund raiser for the PPP/C political campaign. The GCB met on April 17th and successfully considered the application and have reproduced a full copy of its reponse to the group which clearly outlined the full terms and conditions under which the permit was granted and clearly outlined the responsibilities and procedures to be followed by those players that may be selected to participate in the matches who may be contracted to the WICB, employers, Territorial Boards and other franchises:

“22nd April, 2015

Mr. Anthony Ameerally

Chairman

Friends of the People’s Progressive Party



Mr. Ameerally,

RE: PERMISSION TO HOST CRICKET GAMES.

Please be advised that the GCB Executive Committee Meeting of 17th April 2015 granted your request to host Cricket Games on the 2nd May 2015 at the Albion Community Centre. This permit was granted under the following terms and conditions:

That the GCB is not responsible for any loss of income of players due to injuries sustained in these games.
All overseas players participating in the games are granted no objection certificates from their Territorial Boards to participate.
All West Indies Cricket Board’s contracted players are granted no objection certificates from that entity to participate.
All players understand that they are responsible to seek individual no objection certificates from their employer, Franchise, agents, territorial boards or West Indies Cricket Board before participating.
Payment to any Player, Team, Association or Cricket Board participating in the games shall be the responsibility of the organisers.
That this permit is valid for the date 2nd May 2015 only.
That the games do not affect any planned tournament by the West Indies Cricket Board, Cricket Guy. Inc., Guyana Cricket Board or the County Boards.
Only cricketers and entities established under the official GCB structure can participate.
The organisers agree that a breach of any of the terms and conditions set out above will deem this permit null and void.



……………………………………

Mr. Drubahadur

President

Guyana Cricket Board”



It should be further noted that CGI, which is the body that these players are contracted to, had its appraisals’ sessions following the completion of the 2014/15 cricket season with these players conducted on April 28th& 30th. During this process, the CGI officials present at the interview took the opportunity to provide each franchise player with a copy of the approval letter granted to the “Friends of the PPP” so that they could be guided on the correct procedures for the CGI to issue NOCs. Up to the day before the event, only 2 players from Berbice had made individual applications as required and the NOCs were duly granted. On the actual day of the event, frantic calls were being made to several officials of the CGI for NOCs by all and sundry. An accommodation was made by CGI to have all players sign a single application letter which was done for 6 additional players from Berbice and were duly granted with their NOCs to participate. No application for a NOC was ever requested nor received from any contracted player from Demerara. The Chairman of the May Day Cup 2015, Anthony Ameerally was very apologetic when he called the CGI Chairman, Mr. Rajendra Singh, about an hour before the event and all efforts by officials of the CGI were made to facilitate their requests within the short time frame given.

At no time was Mr. Sanasie, the GCB Secretary, in contact with any player from Demerara reference and NOC as no contracted player for Demerara expressed an interest in participating in the games.
The GCB and the CGI remain very concerned and perturbed by these reports in view of this highly charged political environment and will be taking all steps as advised by their counsel for their protection and well being as Mr. Rajiv Bisnauth and the Guyana Times continues to attack our entities.