TTCB – News

Cricket Board  stands firm on restructuring
August 11, 2011

THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB) is standing firm on its decision to restructure the National League and insists it is in the best interest of the development of the game locally.

The T&TCB through its president Azim Bassarath, on Thursday, reiterated his Board Members’ overwhelming 36-3 vote to adopt the new measures for the 2012 season at the last quarterly meeting of the national body on July 23.

Bassarath further emphasised  that the process adopted by a T&TCB Restructuring Committee chaired by its General Secretary Arjoon Ramlal and comprising several respected and knowledgeable professionals was thorough and addressed all the concerns raised by  National League clubs during the 2010 season.  

The T&TCB chief said the loudest voices who now seek to decry the process after the vote was democratically taken are in the minority and appealed to them to put their electoral politics aside and work in the best interest of the sport.

Bassarath heads the Movement for Change group which ousted the Friends of Cricket led by Deryck Murray two years ago for leadership of the T&TCB. New elections are due at the end of October.

“I am extremely disappointed that  certain persons are being less than honest  in their responses to the decisions taken by the majority of the clubs affiliated to the T&TCB. The clubs were given ample time to respond to the proposals but a few only proceeded to do so 24 hours before they knew the vote was going to be taken,” Bassarath said,

He said he was extremely satisfied in the way in which the T&TCB Restructuring Committee met with the Premiership and Championship clubs, representatives of  the eight  zones  and the Tobago Cricket Association on different occasions leading up to the vote.

“The timeline was known to everyone. So it is unfortunate that a more than transparent exercise designed to uplift and sustain the highest standards in local cricket could be mired in controversy not of the T&TCB’s doing but by some who selfishly seek to score political points by misinformation and outright lies,” said Bassarath.

He advised the persons who have aligned themselves with the enemies of cricket not to be easily influenced into error. Bassarath said they  should act in the best interest of their players and clubs. ”The  viability of the clubs was paramount in the minds of the T&TCB Committee set up to find a solution to the declining standards of the game.” He said.

The T&TCB president said he was also dismayed by the response of several notable sports personalities mainly through newspaper articles who are all in agreement with the need to restructure the local game but are yet critical of the Board’s thorough and democratic process.

“We are all in agreement that restructuring must take place for the game to evolve and the T&TCB has executed its mandate in this respect.  The clubs who overwhelmingly supported the changes must be applauded for their courage and desire to make a difference through their participation in one of the most significant exercises undertaken by a national sports organization in recent memory,” said Bassarath.

Bassarath also addressed the concerns of some clubs about added costs occasioned by the expansion of the Premiership competition. This he said could be offset by the reshaping of the 50-Overs  club competition in addition to the financial attractiveness of the Board’s T20 competition.

There is also the possibility that the clubs could benefit from a sizeable development grant and other valuable incentives through the initiative of the T&TCB.

He challenged the clubs facing financial problems to use their abundant proven resources and creativity to stay afloat in the present  uncertain financial environment.

Bassarath said improving the quality of local cricket was a top priority when the T&TCB Restructuring Committee met with the major stakeholders as the expansion of the National League guarantees more cricket will be played at a higher level on a consistent basis.

He also pointed out that with no teams being demoted at the end of the 2010 season,  it meant that the weaker clubs will get another opportunity to correct their faults of the previous season and break the cycle of the promotion-demotion system which has been proven to be an abject failure and contributes little to club development .

“We all know change is hard to embrace but cricket is much too important to be made into a political tool. We must remain sober and objective in our deliberations and not twist and turn as the wind blows.  The decision of the majority of the clubs must be respected and all must now work together to ensure success in the long run,” Bassarath said.  

“We all look forward to the 2012 season,” Bassarath said.