Political interference in Guyana's cricket deepens

Political interference in the administration of cricket seems likely to worsen in Guyana following revelations made in that county yesterday. Minister of Labour Mansoor Nadir has said openly at a press conference in the capital of Guyana that he will determine when the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) General Elections will be held. The Minister made it clear that he had the power to do as he pleases and if he did not get his way the Government of Guyana would grant no concessions whatsoever to cricket. Legal sources in the South American State however said that Minister Nadir is sadly mistaken as to his statutory powers. One source said "he has no idea of the contents of the Friendly Societies Act and has no idea of what powers he could and could not exercise". The source continued that "the Minister's continued efforts to direct the Registrar of Friendly Societies of what to do and how to stall the GCB elections is unlawful and and an abuse of political power". 

Attorney-at-Law Anil Nandlall who is behind the political interference has been making every effort to make sure that the Mr. Bissoondyal gets control of the GCB. Nandlall has promised that under the next government he will certainly be the Attorney General and will make sure that Bissoondyal has full control of the GCB. It is principally for this reason that he is instructing Minister Nadir to do everything to delay the GCB general elections. One commentator said that Nandlall needs to support Bissoondyal because he needs to remain relevant on the East Coast politically and needs Bissoondyal to achieve that or he will not have the necessary political interference he needs for the next National Elections in Guyana.

However, one source at the International Cricket Council (ICC) who wished to remain unnamed said that Guyana risks being isolated from the international cricket community if the reports of political interference in the country proves true. It is well known that the ICC will not tolerate political interference in cricket administration.

Bissoondyal directs the Chairman of Selectors to pick "his" Guyana Team

Sources in Guyana confirmed that embattled cricket administrator Bissoondyal Singh boasted yesterday at the Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) pavilion that he was going to "ensure a Guyana [Cricket] Team of his choice would be selected". His comments were made to all and sundry at the GCC pavilion bar where he was lamenting the lack of talent of GCC and Guyana player Vishal Singh. Bissoondyal said "Vishal doesn't deserve a place in the Guyana team" he continued "you see how he 'throw away' against the short ball today? He can't bat!". Bissoondyal was making reference to Vishal Singh's hurried evasive action taken to fend off a short pitched ball from Esau Crandon in the Guyana Cricket Team trials at the GGC  cricket ground Bourda. One onlooker who was there confirmed that Vishal Singh's evasive fending off resulted in him popping the ball up to be out caught and bowled. A club member in attendance confirmed that Bissoondyal was saying that now that he had control of the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) with Roger Harper's recent re-election as President of the GCA he was going to make sure that GCC and Demerara Cricket Club players were not on the Guyana Team. One observer noted that both of those clubs voted to support Roger Harper's adversary at the recent GCA elections.

A person who was present at the GCC pavilion confirmed that Bissoondyal was boasting that he was going to "have to tell [Claude} Raphael [Chairman of Selectors] what to do". Bissoondyal made it clear that Rafael was going to have to listen to his his opinion if he wasted to remain Chairman of Selectors of the Guyana Cricket Team. Bissoondyal said further that at the moment Raphael was on a "long leash" but that would soon change. "Picking teams is about picking who you want .... nothing else" Bissoondyal stated and he said it was time that those who supported his election campaign get some benefits. 

When contacted this morning Bissoondyal said he was "simply stating his opinion on a cricketer"; he was not judging the club from which the player came. When asked further if he was going to dictate team selection he said he had "no comment" at this time but if questions were submitted to him in writing he would respond. Bissoondyal did however mention that as the leader of one faction of the Demerara Cricket Board he though he was entitled to say who he thought should play for Guyana. He said Raphael was unfortunately "influenced by race" on occasion and "nobody complained about that; so he didn't see why if he wanted to select players from clubs that support him that should be a problem". He said he had no difficulty on being quoted on his statements "once you report exactly" what was said.

On a separate issue, unconfirmed reports from Guyana indicate that former Test Cricketer and coach Roger Harper has been sued in the Guyana Courts for libelous statements made against several persons involved in cricket. More to follow on that story as details unfold.

Guyana High Court issues injunction against entire Bissoondyal led faction of DCB

The High Court in Guyana granted an injunction against each and every member of the Bissoondyal led faction of the Demerara Cricket Board on the 8th February 2011 restraining them from holding themselves out or in any way performing the functions of the Demerara Cricket Board. Reports from Guyana indicate that Justice James Bovel-Drakes granted the injunction which will now continue until the 28th day of February 2011. The injunction was sought by the Secretary of the Raj Singh led faction of the Demerara Cricket Board. Legal experts in Guyana have said that as a result of the injunction the Raj Sing led faction of the Demerara Cricket Board in now the only entity lawfully entitled to administer cricket in Demerara. 

The ruling came despite reports in Guyana that Minister of Labour Mansoor Nadir had rushed through and registered as a Friendly Society the Bissoondyal faction of the Demerara Cricket Board. Senior Counsel in Guyana who did not wish to be named said that that would mean that the Bissoondyal faction is now outside the control of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) since the GCB is a registered Friendly Society with its affiliates all being unincorporated entities.Additionally, the newly registered Bissoondyal faction of the Demerara Cricket Board does not include in its membership the East bank Cricket Association and the West Demerara Cricket Association which would mean that if the Bissoondyal faction's registration is proper and allowed to represent Demerara Cricket then two divisions have no affiliation to the Guyana Cricket Board; plunging all the club players in the excluded clubs into non-selection for the Guyana Cricket Team. In cricket circles it is being said that the folly of Bissoondyal and his polotical gang have been exposed as they have now apparently "out-smarted" thenselves, to use popular Guyanese parlance.

Additionally, Bissoondyal boasted last night that his political backers will force the High Court judge to rule in his favour when the matter comes up for hearing. He boasted that "we will have to tell the judge what to do"; however, the same Senior Counsel in Guyana said he doubted this judge in particular could be subject to external influence in matters before him.

Dinanath Ramnarine, the Chief Executive of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) last night in an invited comment said that "its unfortunate that the backward judicial system of Guyana is the forum for all this litigation [there was an injunction granted against WIPA by the Chief Justice of Guyana]; the judges there are not capable of understanding the issues at hand. These matters should be heard in Trinidad". Ramnarine said he had spoken to Roachie [Bissoondyal is called "Roachie" by his friends] and he was confident that the proper Board would soon be administering Demerara cricket. Ramnarine said he is unlikely to visit Guyana in the near future unless a meeting with Bissoondyal or the politicians is necessary. "Boy, I am in contact with Roachie and Irfan [junior Minister of Housing Irfan Ali] all the time by telephone, I don't need to go there ... yes?" Ramnarine said with a smile. "Don't worry; we have things under control" he said.

The Court matter continues on 28th February 2011.

Bissoondyal: "I have money so I control dem black people on my Board"

Mr. Bissoondyal Singh, leader of the Bissoondyal led faction of the Demerara Cricket Board, speaking in the company of friends and his lawyer at a Sleep In hotel in Georgetown on Friday night boasted that no member of his faction of the Demerara Cricket Board was free to vote at the upcoming Guyana Cricket Board elections in an independent manner. "I tell them who to vote for" he said. He further went on to say that he had made promises to the politicians to deliver the Board to them to be used as a tool in the upcoming election campaign and as such he had to take instruction from the politicians and his Board members in turn had to follow his instructions. Bissoondyal boasted that the vice-president of his faction of the Demerara Cricket Board, former West Indies Test Player Roger Harper had no say in the decisions of the Board. Bissoondyal boasted to his friends that "black people greedy, is only lil money they want and they have to depend on indians for the money, we own them". He said Roger Harper was not working at the moment and was being supported by hand outs from him of which he said he had plenty. He further went on to comment that "pacer" Adonis who has been involved in Demerara Cricket for more than a decade was now squarely on his side because of the "couple thousand dollars" I give him every week. Adonis would do "anything I ask him to do" because of the "lil freck" I give him every week. That is how you control black people he declared.

Bissoondyal admitted that he was dependent on the support of Harper, Adonis and Chairman of National Selectors Claude Rafael to be elected but he said he was sure of the support because "Rafael goes to Berbice for me ... look he going on Sunday again (last Sunday) and he gotta go because he bruk and is me who he gotta beg for a small piece". In a comment about the appointment of Mark Harper as the National Cricket Team Coach, Bissoondyal defended his fight against Mark Harper at the Board level when a vote was being taken on the appointment saying "Mark ain't nobody; I gotta put somebody there who I could control and Mark don't even listen to Roger most of the time".

Bissoondyal boasted that he had the votes to win the Presidency of the Guyana Cricket Board because he had bought out four votes from the Berbice Cricket Board. "Bai, I telling you, I gat money so I will always control dem black people ... all you need to do is give them a two thousand now and then and they will follow you like a dog everywhere".

Bissoondyal was confident that his faction would be the faction that would go to the Guyana Cricket Board Elections because of the political clique he had behind him. "I don't care about any constitution or any Court or what anybody else say ... I taking over the Board and all I need is for the Ministers I have behind me to do what I say and I got it covered". He openly admitted that the interference of political elements was an integral part of him succeeding and he feared if the  High Court got involved to examine things that would interfere with is march to the Presidency of the Guyana Cricket Board.

Nandlall Brands Sports Minister as Weak and Confused

Guyanese lawyer Anil Nandlall confirmed whilst having a casual drink with friends and playing table tennis that he indeed spoke to Minister of Sports Dr. Frank Anthony about the latter's recognition of the Bissoondyal (also known as Roachie) led Demerara Cricket Board in the precincts of Parliament Building during the budget debates and the Minister indeed confirmed that he was in full recognition of the Bissoondyal led faction of the Demerara Cricket Board. Nandlall confirmed in a conversation with the a source that after the meeting in Parliament "I instructed Frank to meet with Roachie and make public his pronouncement about recognising Roachie as the President of the Demerara Cricket Board". Nandlall was speaking about the public controversy created by the Kaieteur News story of Sunday 30th January 2011 where it was reported that he had said that the Minister of Sport had recognised the Bissoondyal led faction of the Demerara Cricket Board; only for the Minister to deny every speaking to the Nandlall on the subject two days later in a separate article in the same Newspaper. However, Nandlall admitted personally calling Sean Devers before the publication of the initial story in the Sunday Kaieteur Newspapers asking that it not be published and directing that the Chronicle Newspapers and the Guyana Times not carry the statements which he had made at a public press conference. He said he only asked to stop the publication because he knows that "Frank is weak" and "afraid of his own shadow".

The flamboyant lawyer went on to further say the the Minister of Sports is weak and is not standing up to what he had agreed. Nandlall further said that junior Minister of Housing Irfan Ali and Minister of Labour Mansoor Nadir and himself were working assiduously to ensure that Bissoondyal's campaign to be President of the Guyana Cricket Board was successful and that the Minister of Sports "could not decide things on his own when I have the Party [PPP/C] campaigning for Roachie". Nandlall said further that he had instructed Minister Nadir to delay the Guyana Cricket Board elections so that he could get control of the votes necessary to elect Bissoondyal. He asked rhetorically  "Mansoor is also acting on instructions so how could Frank say that he did not recognise Roachie?"

Nandlall also confirmed that he had personally spoken to Chief Justice Ian Chang and had other "persons in Government" speak to the the Chief Justice to prevent the Raj Singh lead faction of the Demerara Cricket Board from getting a judge to hear their application for an injunction. Nandlall said that on the Saturday of the Demerara Board elections the Raj Singh led faction were seeking to have an injunction application heard to stop the Bissoondyal led faction from holding elections but he had to speak to the Chief Justice to prevent it being heard. Nandlall further said "I had to ask the [Attorney General Charles] Ramson to meet with [Chief Justice] Chang; and they met at Natoo's Bar and Ramson had to make it clear that the injunction could not be heard before the elections". "So how is it that all the other Ministers are acting in support of Roachie and Frank is saying I am lying?" Nandlall asked.

Further, Nandlall said persons who were appointed as  Minister of Government "must have backbone" and stand up when necessary and keep their word and he disappointed the Sports Minister was not displaying those characteristics. He said further, in the next Government he doubted that "Frank would be a Minister of any portfolio; he is too much of a coward to be in Cabinet".