GCB Cover-Up and Continued Mediocrity

At the end of the last Red Stripe Bowl I had reason to be justifiably and harshly critical of the Jamaica Cricket Association for the poor manner in which it had managed Zone A of that tournament.

Having covered the first two days of the fourth round Carib Beer Series match between Guyana and the Leeward Islands at the Enmore Community Centre I am beginning to think that I will have to once again beat my keyboard in protest against the ridiculously substandard hosting of at least one aspect of the game. This time of course it is the Guyana Cricket Board that will come under fire.

But there is also another issue which the GCB must, at this time, take a self-inflicted whipping for. But I shall address that later on. Let me first illustrate for you the pathetic conditions under which the journalists, particularly the print journalists, are forced to work under in reporting on this match.

On the first day when I arrived at the Enmore ground I found that the GCB had, commendably, provided two tables and chairs for their scorers in the section of the pavilion seemingly designated for the media and scorers. The GCB must receive kudos for this; they rarely forget to provide adequate accommodation for their scorers.

However, as is the case throughout most of the Caribbean, the ladies and gentlemen of the media are always a forgotten lot. The condition that we have to work under is disgustingly pathetic, and that is being very economical with the truth.

On day one and day two there was absolutely no provision for the media except, upon request, a few chairs were hustled up to the matchbox sized commentary box for the GBC commentary team.

The other journalists, including this writer, had to literally beg for chairs to accommodate themselves and squeeze their notepads and laptops on the scorers? tables that were too small to accommodate more than two people at a time.

I know for a fact that several GCB executives have a field day in criticizing the work of many media practitioners, including this one. In many instances their criticisms are not out of order, in deed some media operatives, particularly in Guyana, have been disgracefully substandard in what they produce for public consumption.

Perhaps it is those who are so dimwitted in their approach of their media duties that causes the GCB to continuously treat the whole lot with such scant disregard.

However the GCB cannot proffer such arrogance as explanation. They have a duty to adequately accommodate the media at all of their events. Not once can I recall them making any attempts to satisfy this, yet they hope to host World Cup games. What a shame!

From the evidence the GCB seems only interested in accommodating foreign media while the locals are left to rummage for chairs and a decent place to work.

The Guyana v Leeward Islands match is the highest level of regional cricket in the West Indies. Only international cricket supercedes it. We often rant about how deplorable the regional competition is but we fail to recognize that the GCB and their other counterparts across the region actively contribute to such a spiraling of standards not only in inadequately preparing players but the manner in which the entire competition is managed.

Carib Beer, as sponsors too must recognize these horrendous shortcomings and demand an improvement. After all it is through this competition that they are spending millions in selling themselves to the people of the region. Some of the most critical people in shaping the views of that very public both on the cricket on the field and the surrounding activities are the journalists.

It only follows that they should be treated with at least some decency and a modicum of respect and dignity.

Sadly decency, respect and dignity are unmistakably absent in the manner in which the GCB has hosted the media in the first regional game in Guyana for 2004.

Is it too much to ask the GCB to provide a few tables and chairs in a designated area for the media at each venue? Certainly it could not be. We must improve on this shoddy treatment if we are going to even begin making an impression in our attempts to host a World Cup game.

Now on to that other matter. Once again the Guyana Cricket Board is aggressively covering up a nasty incident within the national cricket team.

A report on CaribbeanCricket.com gives details of a fistfight between Mahendra Nagamootoo and Lennox Cush and also involving Vishaul Nagamootoo in Dominica during the third round of the Carib Beer Series.

"The elder Nagamootoo boarded the team bus and demanded that pacer Reon Griffith vacate a seat. At this point, Cush intervened and a quarrel ensued between the two. Before long, punches were thrown by both parties and Nagamootoo picked up a cricket bat to go after Cush," CaribbeanCricket.com reported.

The report went further: "It was right after the day's play and was in full public view of everyone, including the Mayor," the source said, referring to Mayor Joseph, who doubles as the Windwards team scorer."

Upon their return from Dominica the national team was reshuffled with Mahendra, Cush, Azeemul Haniff and Andre Percival being dropped and replaced by Hemnarine Harinarine, Leon Johnson, Damodar Daesrath and Zaheer Mohamed.

When the changes were announced to the media there was no explanation and it was left to be interpreted that the players were being dropped for performance reasons. The GCB at no point indicated that Nagamootoo and Cush were being penalized for the embarrassing breach or if indeed the contents of this report, circulated around the Caribbean is true or false.

The team coach, manager and captain were called to a specially organized de-briefing session upon their return home. Surely the incident would have been reported to the GCB at that time. Surely the GCB could not be leading the public into believing that the 50% match fee fine which the tour management imposed on both players at the time is adequate penalty.

If Nagamootoo and Cush were dropped for performance reasons the GCB must clarify the issue. If they were dropped as a penalty for the fight, then the GCB must say so and not mislead the public.

If it is that Nagamootoo and Cush were dropped for poor performance then the GCB must penalize them for the incident and they must do so without delay. This is a serious breach of the tour regulations and all three players involved must be severely reprimanded and the cricketing public, who are always being begged to come out and support the game, must be informed. Once the report is accurate then both Nagamootoos and Cush should be banned for some period. If it is not the case then the GCB must explain what really transpired.

This slap-on-the-wrist that they are getting away with must be explained. The GCB must not be allowed to once again pull a veil over another nasty and disgraceful incident, which has brought shame to Guyana?s cricket. There is no point in protecting disruptive players. If the GCB does not act and does not speak then this incident will continue to reek of disrespect for the cricketing public.

* This column was first published on Imran Khan's Guyana Weblog.