GCB Must Withdraw Griffith
One would have thought that after the internationally publicised Jermaine Lawson issue that regional territorial cricket board would have been cautious and circumspect with regard to players having suspect actions.
From the evidence at hand, this is not so for the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB). For anyone who has seen Guyana compete in this year's Carib Beer Series, it is as plain as day that pacer Rayon Griffith is operating outside the laws of the game. It was particularly poor in the two games that the young man played in his homeland.
The deliveries which dismissed the Trinidad and Tobago captain Imran Jan and young batsman Sherwin Ganga were ridiculously illegal. And that is after being viewed with the naked eye.
But there is documented video evidence of Griffith?s chucking. The Trinidad and Tobago team analyst, it is reported, has video footage which clearly illustrates the severe level of illegality involved in Griffith?s action.
Griffith is not one of those bowlers who 'lets one or two fly from time to time', he is the type who delivers 4 or 5 questionable deliveries per over and that is a serious breach of the laws of cricket.
When one considers that his suspect bowling action is not a new development but one which the GCB was alerted to over six months before the start of this season, the fact that it is as bad as it is now is inexcusable. The GCB is obligated to withdraw this youngster immediately and put him through a remedial programme to correct his action. Anything less would be a slap in the face of the fans of cricket, opposition teams and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
The WICB too must demand that action be taken by the GCB for the action of young Griffith is, to any layman unclean and gives his team an unfair and illegal advantage over the opposition.
The GCB must act immediately and decisively on this matter. Failure to do so can result in another international embarrassment for West Indies cricket similar to the Jermaine Lawson episode. Lawson?s questionable action was raised by several respected individuals, including Tony Cozier, during his youth cricket days and his regional first class days, yet very little was done by the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA).
This led to the young man making an advancement to the West Indies team with his questionable action and it having to be reported to the International Cricket Council ICC). This subjected the WICB and all West Indies cricket fans to the disgrace and scorn of the world for allowing a bowler with a clearly and easily detectable false action to represent the regional premier team.
The GCB must not allow this to recur. They must correct young Griffith?s problematic action now.