Skerritt set for talks over GCB crisis

High-level Cricket West Indies (CWI) officials will hold talks with stakeholders in Guyana over the next few days, aimed at starting to address the governance crisis afflicting the Guyana Cricket Board.

CWI president Ricky Skerritt and chief executive officer, Johnny Grave, will discuss the matter with cricket administrators and government officials, as well as examine India’s planned tour of the Caribbean starting in August.

The move is part of a wider plan by CWI to strengthen governance at the local level, in keeping with Skerritt’s Cricket First Plan which he campaigned on during his recent bid for the presidency.

“This initial short visit will focus on discussions related to the hosting of India matches during the upcoming home series in August, but it will also hopefully give me a more detailed introduction to the legal and administrative issues that are currently prevailing in Guyana,” he said.

“Guyana has produced some of the best players in the world and CWI wants its rich legacy to continue to be built on.”

The GCB has been embroiled in controversy for nearly a decade now. Elections have not been held since 2012 and only last month, the High Court here ruled the GCB executive invalid.

Skerritt last month described the Guyana cricket situation as “troubling” and “riddled with uncertainty”, but pledged CWI’s support in helping to rectify the matter.

The trip to Guyana will be the fourth for Skerritt since he was elected president in March. He has previously met with government officials in Jamaica, Leeward Islands and Trinidad and Tobago.

Skerritt and vice-president Dr Kishore Shallow defeated three-term incumbents Dave Cameron and Emmanuel Nanthan at CWI elections in Jamaica on March 24.