TTCB – News

Cricket promoters urged to respect rules
November 25, 2011

THE TRINIDAD and Tobago Cricket Board (T&TCB) is urging persons interested in promoting and organizing cricket competitions  involving national cricketers to be respectful  of the rules and regulations governing their activities as a failure to secure permission from the lawful cricket authorities could lead to serious penalties.

And the newly re-elected executive of the T&TCB, led by Azim Bassarath has again emphasized that the participation of the top cricketers in unauthorized competitions,  as they seek to maximize their earning potential will attract careful scrutiny.   

In a media release on Friday (November 25, 2011) the T&TCB leader said they are not seeking to restrict the cricketers from plying their trade but will work assiduously to ensure that cricket promoters/organisers and players adhere to the established procedures.

“We are pleased that the cricketers are being afforded the opportunity to earn some renumeration for their skills but we want to make it abundantly clear that it will not be at the expense of fulfilling  certain obligations specifically relating to getting the approval of the T&TCB to stage and participate in any cricket competition staged locally,” said Bassarath.

The T&TCB message comes on the heels of a slew of T20 competitions being planned which is expected to attract top local players who have made a name for themselves in the shortest form of the game as evidenced by their success on the regional and international stage.   

In September-October last  the T&T team once again proved to be a huge hit in India with their “never say die” attitude and the excitement they brought to the game in the Champions League T20 and the T&TCB is concerned that  the “Red Force” brand could be undermined if the cricketers are seduced into playing in authorized  competitions.

The T&TCB warning comes on the heels of interest shown by international teams as far away as Sri Lanka in having several T&T stars play in their domestic T20 competitions which will ensure their profile is kept  at a high level and go a long way in enhancing the T&T brand worldwide.

And although the T&T Cricket Board is fully supportive of the players’ right to ply their trade,  the national cricketers have been strongly advised to be guided by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) regulations  concerning participation in unauthorized competitions organized by private organisations.

The T&TCB has stressed that permission must be first received by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) before any cricket tournament is staged in the region and failure to do so will result in severe penalties  on the territorial board, the cricketers and the promoters/organisers.

According to the WICB’s  policy “Responsibility and Approval for Cricket in the West Indies,” the minimum penalties for staging an unauthorized competition range from disqualification of the territorial board  from staging international matches for two years to the banning of individual cricketers who participate from official matches and events for one year. 

Also the promoters and/or organisers of such unapproved competitions could be disqualified from hosting similar events for a period of up to three years.

The WICB document,  to which all territorial boards in the region adhere to, also lists the different types of competitions that have been pre-approved by the regional body and also outlines the procedure for submitting requests for approval for cricket tournaments.

It states that an application for approval must be made in writing to the WICB not less than 30 days  in advance of the scheduled start of the match or event.  The WICB, however, makes provision for exceptional circumstances, to consider applications received in less than the stipulated time.

Dr Allen Sammy, executive member  of the T&T Cricket Board and a Director of the WICB has said that cricketers who do not observe the established rules and regulations risk running afoul of the WICB and the ICC, the world governing body for cricket.

He said the T&T Cricket Board  is responsible for all domestic cricket and the territorial board must ensure that approval is sought from the West Indies Cricket Board for any competition played in its jurisdiction.