Time for all to move on for development of cricket, says Cameron – Guyana’s cricket crisis went on for too long

West Indies Cricket Board President Whycliffe ‘Dave’ Cameron believes that the cricket crisis in Guyana went on for too long and now is the time for all stakeholders to move on for the development of the game as a united cricketing family.
He expressed this view at a press conference at the Guyana National Stadium Sunday, referring to the crippling to standoff between the Government of Guyana (GoG) and the Guyana Cricket Board. The comment also came against the backdrop that the West Indies team has been enjoying a measure of success and therefore the time is rife for further development of the sport.

“The Guyana situation has certainly gone on for much longer than anyone would have desired and we must now put that behind us and move as one united cricketing family. We must look to the future and commit our efforts toward moving Guyana’s and West Indies cricket forward. We are on the upward curve and need to ensure that we continue in this vein, whilst building on those areas which need to be strengthened,” the Jamaican businessman emphasised in his statement.
After years of alleged administrative malpractices at the GCB, a protracted standoff with GoG, which established an Interim Management Committee, a series of court matters between the two sides, which stemmed from controversial elections in 2011, Cameron made the call for democracy to run its course and for stakeholders to have respect for rulings handed down in the courts.
On the other hand, he opined that issues must not always engage the attention of the courts but rather officials should iron out differences through meaningful discourse, a sentiment observers expressed at several fora as the dispute festered. He believes protracted disputes do nothing to benefit the game, urging the need for more responsible forms of conflict resolution.
“We must allow democracy to work and always respect the rulings of the courts where those apply, but I firmly believe that issues and differences which we will encounter ought not to always be embroiled in the courts, but rather we must all sit at the table as valuable stakeholders and find compromise positions in the best interest of the sport. Protracted and bitter disputes do not benefit cricket and we must avoid them by taking a mature and responsible path towards settling differences,” the new president noted.
Further, Cameron revealed that he was relieved the GCB and GoG found “common ground” on outstanding issues, stating that “it is through this type of co-operation that the Guyanese public can once again enjoy regional and international cricket on home soil.” Regional and international matches have not been played in Guyana for close to two years as a result of the impasse.
Regional matches returned on March 29 when Guyana played Combined Campuses and Colleges at the Guyana National Stadium. That apart, the WICB had always held out that the GCB is its representative agent for cricket in Guyana.