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.

Guyana Cricket Board Official Locked-Up for Drunken Disorderly Behaviour

Mr. Bissoondyal Singh, leader of one faction of the Demerara Cricket Board (DCB) confirmed today that the vice-president of his faction Mr. Prettipaul Jaigobin was locked up since Friday night for driving drunk and behaving in a manner such as to be a public nuisance. 

Confirmed reports reaching the Cricket Crusader indicate that on Friday night Jaigobin was driving on the wrong side of the road in Railway Embankment Road in the vicinity of Ogle, East Coast Demerara when President of Guyana Bharrat Jagdeo was traveling in the other direction. Reports are that Jaigobin refused to heed the sirens of President Jagdeo's outriders and was driving on the wrong side of the road approaching the President's vehicles. When he was forcibly stopped by the President's Security Personnel he was found to behind the driving wheel drunk and had soiled himself. When the President's security personnel removed him from his vehicle Jaigobin was heard saying loudly that he is the President's "buddy friend" and that Minister of Finance Ashni Singh depended upon his expertise to make decisions; "Ashni Singh cannot make a decision without consulting me" he reportedly said. Jaigobin was slurring his speech and was unable to stand properly but the President's Security Personnel were reluctant to touch him because he had shat himself and was urinating himself as he was standing next to his vehicle. He was so intoxicated he had lost control of his bodily functions.

One onlooker to the entire incident said "da man nasty, and he so drunk he coulda kill somebody pun this road here tonight". The onlooker who has a small stall by the roadside said this is not the first time he saw Jaigobin is a drunken state driving along the Railway Embankment Road; "he does do this regula; this is he style ... he does stop by the shop right deh [points to a local rum shop] and drink steady". The onlooker said on many occasions Jaigobin would come to the nearby shop already drunk but would still go inside and drink even more.

Jaigobin in addition to being the Vice-President of the Bissoondyal faction of the Demerara Cricket Board is also the Assistant Treasurer of the Guyana Cricket Board and a senior functionary at the Ministry of Finance. He was assaulted several months ago with acid in the East Coast Demerara region but was too drunk at that time identify his assailants. It has long been rumoured that his acid-assault was as a result of his offensive drunken behaviour towards females in the liquor establishments which he would usually patronise along the East Coast.

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.

Roger Harper can only win GCA elections with deciet and trickery

On the eve of the Georgetown Cricket Association elections former national cricketer Neil Barry has said that incumbent President "[Roger] Harper should see the writing on the wall and he could only defeat [Alfred] Mentore by deceit and trickery".

The long awaited Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) Annual General Meeting is set to finally take place this afternoon amidst fears of underhanded and illegal dealings on the part of Roger Harper. The Annual General Meeting at which the election of office bearers for the upcoming year takes place was originally set for the 26th January 2011; but when it was clear that the incumbent President Roger Harper was not going to be re-elected he contrived a frivolous and self-created reason to have the elections postponed. One former Test captain said he was "disappointed that Roger would be party to such dishonesty and deceit for the sake of a cricket office". However the apparent dishonesty and deception of Roger Harper is now in high gear with former administrators of now defunct cricket clubs; being the GUYSTACK Trade II and the Guyana National Service both saying that they have been approached by Harper to "pretend to be in existence for the sole purpose of voting at the AGM today". 

The accusations of dishonesty and deceit against Harper, a former Test cricketer and coach, is not new. Allegations abound during his tenure of office of financial impropriety; indeed most of it involved GCA Board members and not Harper. However, one former National Cricketer who is on Harper's current GCA Board said "it doesn't matter whether Harper is the one accused of financial swindling, what is important is that as the President of GCA he must be aware of it and is doing nothing to stop it". These allegations are being made against Harper at a time when television stations in Guyana broadcast the Executive Committee Meeting of the Demerara Cricket Board, of which Harper is a member, which displayed Harper's unruly, uncouth and obstinate behaviour. Since the broadcasts have begun Harper and his associate, the embattled Bisoondyal Singh, have been the laughing stock of the cricket fraternity.

However, a former Guyana and West Indies cricket captain who is familiar with Harper said he hoped that Harper would not stoop to such levels to keep a cricket administrator job; he added that he was disappointed that "Roger would be involved in such underhand practices as trying to inflate the list of clubs eligible to vote by improperly including defunct and phantom clubs to get votes against legitimate club who are entitled to have a full say in cricket administration in Georgetown". 

When contacted yesterday Bissoondyal Singh in a invited comment said that he was sure Harper would win since "it was simple mathematics having regard to the number of clubs voting". Bissoondyal went on to say there were no defunct clubs registered but admitted that some of the clubs now registered for the elections today had not played cricket for years and in fact did not have active cricket teams or administrators; "but they could come and vote now that we have re-registered them" so there should be no objection to them.

Bissoondyal labels Minister of Agriculture an ignorant, self-promoting, egomaniac

Mr. Bissoondyal Singh has branded Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud an "ignorant, self-promoting egomaniac" amidst reports that Minister Persaud has refused to publicly support the Bissoondyal led faction of the Demerara Cricket Board. Bissoondyal was speaking yesterday in response to questions posed to him about junior Minister Irfan Ali being guilty of misusing public office in promoting his campaign for the Presidency of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). When confronted about reports in Guyana that indicate that Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud has expressed support for the Raj Singh faction of the Demerara Cricket Board in light of local television stations broadcasting a recording of the Executive Committee meeting held on 17th January 2011; Bissoondyal dismissed suggestions that Minister Persaud's opinion had any value in cricket circles. Sources have confirmed a lunch meeting at a Brazilian restaurant at Alexander and Charlotte Streets, Georgetown between Minister Persaud and a representative of the Raj Singh faction was arranged by Mr. Sanjeev Datadin, one time Attorney at Law for the Raj Singh faction. Efforts to contact both Datadin and Minister Persaud were unsuccessful; as they are both out of the county at the moment.

Sources have confirmed that the airing of a full tape of the meeting of the Demerara Cricket Board Executive has made public the arrogant, destructive, selfishness of Bissoondyal. On more than one occasion he demonstrated a wholly irrational and unreasonable demeanor when faced with the views of the majority of the Demerara Cricket Board Executive. Bissoondyal conveniently labeled every document produced at the Executive Committee meeting as "forgeries and fakes"whenever they contradicted what he was saying. he then arbitrarily and without stating any logical or lawful reason tried to remove Mr. Rovin Stanley from the Executive because he does not apparently live in Demerara. High ranking political sources have said that "such and embarrassing display in an election year is not what politicians want". Another political source close to the Government confirmed that "there was political support for Roachie [Bissoondyal is called Roachie] because he and his lawyer mislead the politicians that he was the only candidate likely to defeat Bish Panday at the GCB elections". Mr. Bish Panday is a contender for the post of President of the GCB; and is reported to have strong affiliations to the opposition Alliance for Change party. The source confirmed that if the politicians in the ruling party knew Bissoondyal was such a "disaster of a person" they would never have flexed their muscles on his behalf, and is Irfan [junior Minister of Housing Irfan Ali] who really mislead the [ruling] party".

Bissoondyal said this afternoon "I don't care about Robert [Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud], he is [President] Jagdeo's errand boy; ... he is too stupid and corrupt for anybody to pay attention to him". Bissoondyal continued "I don't care what he says or does ... I have [junior Minister of Housing Irfan Ali] Irfan behind me and Jagdeo will listen to him not Robert".

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.

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".

Chairman of Selectors Slams Government Over Non-Payment of Monies

In a startling disclosure Claude Rafael, Chairman of Selectors of the Guyana National Cricket Team slammed the Government of Guyana for not paying the full sponsorship monies due to the Guyana Cricket Team. Sources say the startling revelations were made over the last weekend by Rafael in the presence of several persons at a cricket associated event.

The Guyana Cricket Team upon winning the Caribbean Twenty/ 20 Tournament in July, 2010 were the representatives of the region at the Airtel Champions League 2010 in South Africa. The team then received numerous offers to sponsor them in the Airtel Champions League 2010; but the then acting Minister of Sport Irfan Ali insisted he could arrange for a more lucrative sponsorship commitment that was being offered to the Guyana Cricket Board at the time. In the end the Guyana Cricket Board had no sponsor and President Bharrat Jagdeo to sponsor the Cricket Team and ensure the Team had the necessary funding to prepare and participate in the Champions League. The urgent and magnanimous act of the Guyanese President saved the day for the Guyana Cricket Team. However, sources at the Berbice Cricket Board have confirmed that to date the Government of Guyana has not paid the full sponsorship amount to date.

The Cricket Crusader was able to confirm Rafael's statements from multiple persons present at the gathering. The Chairman revealed that one of the officials seeking to be elected President of the Guyana Cricket Board, Bissoondyal Singh, had informed him that he had gotten junior Minister of Housing Mr. Irfan Ali to block the sponsorship payment due tot he players. Rafael said the PPP Government was most likely not paying money to the players because they wanted to siphon off the money to fund their participation in the upcoming General Elections.

Persons at the event said Rafael was adamant that Bissoondyal would be the next President of the Guyana Cricket Board but he doubted whether the Government would even pay the money even then; because as he said "dem man corrupt" and "nobody gon get that money from them". 

Rafael said further that its only the players who will suffer because of the pure greed of the Guyana Government. The sponsorship money was to be paid in part to the players.