The West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) has lost two of its directors after a ruling by the courts in Guyana terminated their involvement with the sport administratively both in Guyana and the West Indies.The two directors in question are Anand Sanasie and Anand Kalladeen. Madam Justice Sandra Kurtzious ruled that the executive members of the Guyana Cricket Board, Sanasie, Kalladeen, Dru Bahadur, Fizul Bacchus, Alfred Mentore, Virendra Chintamanie, Rajesh Singh, Rajendra Singh, Colin Europe, Andy Ramnarine, Lalta Digamber, Ramdeo Kumar, Rayon Griffith, Nazimul Drepaul and Savitri Persaud, be restrained from conducting any affairs of the GCB. She also restrained those defendants involved in the administration of West Indies cricket, in this case Senasie and Kalladeen from carrying out any duties at the WICB.
The GCB was taken to court by Keith Foster, Anil Beharry, Hubern Evans, Julian Cambridge, Angela Haniff, Raymond Haniff, Romash Munna and Shabeer Baksh, who cited that they were elected to the GCB, illegally because of a flawed constitution. They cried that the elections held last year were unconstitutional and hence the GCB could not carry out the day to day functions when coming to the sport of cricket.An excerpt of the ruling reads: "It is hereby ordered and directed that the defendants Anand Sanasie, Anand Kalladeen, Dru Bahadur, Fizul Bacchus, Alfred Mentore, Virendra Chintamanie, Rajesh Singh, Rajendra Singh, Colin Europe, Andy Ramnarine, Lalta Digamber, Ramdeo Kumar, Rayon Griffith, Nazimul Drepaul and Savitri Persaud, by themselves their servants and or agents acting collectively or individually or howsoever from holding themselves out as the office holders and /or representatives of the Guyana Cricket Board or from performing any act or function for and on behalf of the said Guyana Cricket Board or from discharging in any manner whatsoever any of the duties and or obligations of the Guyana Cricket Board until hearing and determination of the action herein."
This ruling now paves the way for fresh elections to determine the composition of the GCB. On May 16, the National Assembly passed the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill, paving the way for new elections of the GCB and bringing an end to a long-standing impasse between executives of the Cricket Board and the Guyana Government.The Alliance For Change (AFC) did not support the Bill, while the other parliamentary party, the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) voted in favour.Sport Minister, Dr Frank Anthony, who presented the Bill to the National Assembly, said it was drafted after extensive consultations with all stakeholders, and moreso, following recommendation in a ruling made by the High Court.Dr Anthony pointed out that the bill firstly made it legal for the GCB to be established as a corporate body, comprising the Demerara, Essequibo and the Berbice Cricket Boards, all of which would also be made corporate entities.
A section of the bill will address the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons for administrative positions and at the same time, gives limited power to the Sport Minister.The National Assembly was also told that the bill provided for better financial accountability. As such, the GCB, under this new legislation would be required to present timely audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as well as the National Sports Commission.The Subject Minister added that the recommendations from the acting Chief Justice in his rulings were included in the bill. Issues raised during public consultations over a period of time were also taken into consideration. Minister Anthony added that he was confident that all the past issues which once hampered cricket in Guyana have been addressed in the bill.Guyana now joins two other Caribbean nations, T&T, and Barbados, which made the governing bodies for cricket legal entities.