VINODE MAMCHAN
The T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) will convene a special board meeting next Saturday at the National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Couva to discuss and agree on a date for the election of officers for the sport for a new four-year term.
This according to the president of the TTCB, Azim Bassarath who said that three zones called on the board to change the normal process where the executive called the election date.
"We have received a request from three zones to have the process on selecting the election date done differently. The clubs want the entire board to discuss and agree on the date. The requests came from South Zone, North Zone and South West Zone and we have decided to do just that. As a result, we will meet next Saturday 5th January 2019 to set a date for the elections that will be in the best interest of all stakeholders."
Last Monday at the High Court, Justice Jacqueline Wilson dismissed a claim by the six-member National League group and ordered them to pay the legal fees of the TTCB which is in excess of half-a-million dollars which the organisation incurred due to the course of action taken by the six members of the National League Committee (NLC).
“We want to call the elections as soon as possible so that we can move on with the work of the board,” said Bassarath. He stated, “It is a very sad day for cricket in Trinidad and Tobago. I don’t think we should have reached this stage where we had to go to court to decide on a matter like this when we have a constitution that we are supposed to follow.
“It is, of course, two wasted years. I think cricket suffered greatly within these two years. You would know, sponsors did not want to come along. Sponsors would not want to be associated with something that is before the court. So definitely, two years were wasted and cricket is the one that suffered."
Bassarath said that once the election date is fixed and it comes off the process of restoring stability to local cricket will commence. "Whoever wins the elections will take charge of a cricket board that is not before the courts and they can invest their time and energy into getting those sponsors back on board. Running cricket is a very expensive affair and although the minister of Sports Shamfa Cudjoe is trying her best to assist us, the government of the day can only afford a certain degree of assistance. So we need that level of confidence from corporate T&T and we are all looking forward to the day when that is restored."
vinode.mamchan@guardian.co.tt