ST JOHN’S, Antigua – The West Indies Cricket Board on Saturday announced that it has pulled the New Zealand test match from Guyana after the board and the Donald Ramotar administration failed to reach agreement on the independent governance of cricket in the country.

"As a consequence the WICB is left with no option but to relocate the Third Test between West Indies and New Zealand from Guyana," the regional governing body said in a statement.
The WICB says it is currently considering alternative venues and the new venue of the Test will be announced on Monday June 2nd. The dates of the Test – June 26 to 30 – remain.
The WICB says it regrets having to take this course of action and seeks the understanding of cricket fans and stakeholders in Guyana.

The  WICB advised that following engagement with the Government of Guyana on matters pertaining to the Cricket Administration Bill in Guyana, the parties have not been able to find a mutually agreeable resolution.

"The WICB has serious reservations that the Cricket Administration Bill which was passed in the Guyana National Assembly thrusts the administration of cricket in Guyana from an independent body to the Government of Guyana. This the WICB views as undesirable and inconsistent with International Cricket Council tenets.
The WICB sought an undertaking from His Excellency President Donald Ramotar that the bill not be signed into law until these matters are resolved.
The Board gave its commitment that once His Excellency President Ramotar provided such an undertaking all arrangements in Guyana will be kept in place.
Regrettably the WICB has not received such an undertaking from His Excellency President Ramotar.
The WICB will continue to review all matters pertaining to cricket in Guyana.

http://www.caribnewsdesk.com/n...and-test-from-guyana

Sorry to read this. We was looking forward to going to all 5 days. 

I would not be suprise if Bermuda get the test match.  They are hungry for test cricket as a tourist draw.

ANPN/AFC is doing more harm to Guyana by not passing the anti money laundering bill. Some of you never wanted the stadium to begin with. The stadium is making money with Bollywood events than a few lousy match of cricket. We have the CPL coming up.

CPL is in Grenada and St Kitts.

Thirst Park is fine for Bollywood so this is evidence that Provident was another PPP white elephant.

GUYANA GOVERNMENT FIGHTS BACK.

STABROEK NEWS, JUNE 1 ---

The Guyana Government today rejected claims that the cricket administration bill will enable it to intrude in the game here and it slammed the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for “arrogance and contempt”.

The WICB yesterday formally pulled the third Test match between New Zealand and West Indies from Guyana over the bill. This move and today’s response by the government signals a deepening of the divide between the two sides over the administration of the game here. The WICB had previously withdrawn international cricket from Guyana for more than a year after the government had set up an interim body to run the game.

The government’s statement today follows:

The Government of Guyana notes with deep regret the decision of the West Indies Cricket Board to relocate the Third Test between West Indies and New Zealand, from Guyana. We observe with even greater concern, certain assertions made by the WICB regarding this matter and we feel compelled to respond.

On May 30^Th 2014 at about 4.35pm, Mr. Dave Cameron, President of WICB, wrote to His Excellency, President Donald Ramotar, raising certain concerns in respect of the Guyana Cricket Administration Bill. In that letter, Mr. Cameron requested an opportunity to study the Bill and the Constitution, in order to be able to provide more detailed comments at a later stage. In the interim, he requested that the President not assent to the Bill until there is agreement in relation to the matters raised. The letter requested a response by 6 pm that day.

At or about 6.22 pm that day, the Honourable Minister of Sport, Dr. Frank Anthony, responded. In a covering e-mail, the Minister explained that the President was out of Georgetown and that he was duly instructed to respond on the President’s behalf.

At 6.54 pm, the Minister received an e-mail from Mr. Cameron, indicating that the response was ” unacceptable ” and that the response which he requires ” must be done under the Seal of the President “.  The email then informs that WICB will proceed with its decision to move the match.

It is hoped, that the arrogance and contempt assumed by the WICB, as it purports to give directions to a sovereign Government of a CARICOM member state, is noted. That aside, the statement issued by the WICB was clearly structured to convey a very jaundiced impression of their exchanges with the Government on this matter.

The Government of Guyana does not discount the fact that the West Indies Cricket Board maybe looking for a scapegoat in this matter, since their agents in Guyana were (restrained) by a Court Order from acting or holding themselves out as officers of the Guyana Cricket Board and as agents of the WICB. The net result being that WICB has no agents in Guyana to act on their behalf in relation to hosting of the Third Test between West Indies and New Zealand.

One cannot help but wonder, whose interests the WICB really represent, is it that of cricket or some unknown vested agenda.

This Bill which was found so offensive, seeks to bring transparency, accountability, and good governance to the administration of cricket in Guyana and to address the plethora of allegations of rigged and fraudulent elections, financial irregularities and lack of accountability in respect of cricket administration, inter alia,  because of the absence of legal personification in its structure. This Bill does not, in any way whatsoever, allow or permit, directly or indirectly, Government’s involvement in the administration of cricket in Guyana, save and except a singular instance, where the Minister is ascribed a function when the Act comes into operation. After that initiating act, the Minister’s role disappears.

Government, therefore, rejects all or any contention or insinuation that this Bill presents an opportunity for Governmental intrusion into the administration of cricket in Guyana. It is recognized that these charges are emanating from a particular grouping and their sponsors who perceive this Bill as an end to their dominance over administration of cricket, and who many feel, are the architects of the chaos which the Bill is designed to arrest.

The Government is not surprised by the chameleon outburst of the AFC. This is a party that masquerades as a prosecutor of accountability, transparency and good governance, concepts which form the very raison d’etre of this Bill. However, they withheld support from this Bill in the National Assembly having participated in the Parliamentary Select Committee that produced a consensus report. And have now joined forces with an extrinsic organ that is attempting to meddle in the internal affairs of our country and thwart our constitutionally enshrined law making process.

AFC BROADSIDES PPP GOVERNMENT

DEMERARA WAVES, JUNE 1 --- The Alliance For Change (AFC) on Sunday castigated government for Guyana being blacklisted by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

The Antigua-based WICB has announced that the New Zealand Test match would be moved from Guyana because the recently passed Cricket Administration Bill essentially allows for governmental interference in the running of the game.

While the AFC had noted voted in favour of the Bill, the minority governing Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPPC) administration received the support of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU).

With the WICB’s decision to pull the Test Match from Guyana, AFC said it felt vindicated by its position that there should be no state involvement in

“The AFC’s position has now been wholly vindicated. The blacklisting of Guyana by the WICB is totally a result of the Guyana Government,” stated the party which holds seven seats in the National Assembly. The PPPC has 32 and APNU 26.

The AFC lamented that the WICB’s decision painted a “dark time for cricket in Guyana.”

“The WICB had made it clear that it will not tolerate interference by any Government in the running of cricket in the Region but the controlling nature of the PPPC and their belief in autocracy has forced this dark day upon us.

By its cavalier attitude, the Government has shown a total lack of understanding of the significance and authority of regional and international organisations and bodies like WIBC and the ICC,” stated the party.

The AFC believed that the WICB’s decision would demoraliseyouths who dream of representing this country or the West Indies on the cricket field. “The PPP government has dashed the dreams of many young people. This will have a long lasting effect not only on cricket in Guyana but also in the Region.” In making the announcement on Saturday, the WICB said "The WICB has serious reservations that the Cricket Administration Bill which was passed in the Guyana National Assembly thrusts the administration of cricket in Guyana from an independent body to the Government of Guyana. This the WICB views as undesirable and inconsistent with International Cricket Council tenets." The regional governing body said it had tried in vain to lobby the Donald Ramotar administration not to sign the bill into law.

The Cricket Administration Bill now makes it legal for the Guyana Cricket Board to be established as a corporate body comprising the Demerara, Essequibo and the Berbice Cricket Boards, all of which will also be made corporate entities.
A section of the Bill will address the issue of phantom voting for the election of persons for administrative positions and at the same time will give limited power to the Minister of Sport.

The Minister’s role would cease only after he has appointed an ombudsman to verify and register clubs.

Under the law, the GCB would now be required to present timely audited financial reports to the National Assembly, as well as the National Sports Commission aimed at ensuring greater scrutiny and oversight of financial records to reduce allegations of financial impropriety.

Guyana now joins two other Caribbean nations, Trinidad and Tobago, and Barbados which made the governing bodies for cricket legal entities.
This bill also will bring to an end the life of an Interim Management Committee which was established following a court battle and the Chief Justice’s ruling in 2011.

Time for a refree. There are two sides to every story. Bring 'em face to face to see who's telling jumbie stories.

Guyana govt can say what it wants. If the WICB decide not to host matches in Guyana then that is what they will do.  Guyana is not the most profitable place in any case.  Trinidad, Barbados and Antigua are.  Very few NZs are going to Guyana, and many islanders also refuse to visit,   They will happily go to any one of the 3 other venues mentioned.

The PPP needs to understand that they cannot push these Islanders around the way they do to Guyanese back home.