By Avenash Ramzan
Guyana and West Indies cricketers Devendra Bishoo, Veerasammy Permaul and Subrina Munroe were among the top awardees on Sunday when the Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) hosted its awards ceremony for the past year at the Albion Community Centre ground.
The Hilbert Foster-led BCB, which was only elected to office three months ago, presented trophies, medals, certificates, bicycles and posters to the awardees at a well-attended ceremony.
Bishoo, the 32-year-old Albion leg-spinner, copped the prestigious International Male Cricketer-of-the-Year award. In his absence, Guyana Jaguars left-arm spinner Gudakesh Motie collected the award.
In 2017, Bishoo, who has played 28 Tests and 28 ODIs for the West Indies, became the first Berbician to claim 100 Test wickets. He was also Man-of-the-Series for his 13 wickets in two Tests against Zimbabwe last November.
Permaul, the 28-year-old left-arm spinner, also from Albion, was named Regional Four-day Cricketer-of-the-Year after another outstanding season with reigning four-time Professional Cricket League champions Guyana Jaguars.
Munroe, in her absence, was voted the Female Cricketer-of-the-Year. The 32-year-old has appeared in 23 ODIs and 21 T20Is for the West Indies Women’s team.
Below is the full list of awardees.
Berbice Under-15 Player: Marvin Prashad
Berbice Under-17 Player: Kevlon Anderson
Berbice Under-19 Player: Kevin Sinclair
Berbice Under-19 Female Player: Shabika Gajnabi
Most Improved Youth: Karran Arjpaul
Most Improved Senior: Romario Shepherd
Female Cricketer of the Year: Subrina Munroe
Youth Coach of the Year: Julian Moore
Senior Coach of the Year: Esuan Crandon
Female Coach of the Year: Tremayne Smartt
School of the Year: Lower Corentyne Secondary School
Most Improved Club: Blairmont Cricket Club
Club of the Year: Albion Community Centre Cricket Club
Umpires of the Year: Imran Moakan and Moses Ramphal
Regional 4-Day: Veerasammy Permaul
Regional 50-Over: Romario Shepherd
International Male/Cricketer of the Year: Devendra Bishoo
Role Model Awards: Junior- Javid Karim; Male- Shimron Hetmyer; Female- Shabika Gajnabi
Special Awards: Joseph Simon, Patrick Gray, Julian Moore, Winston Smith, Anil Beharry and Roger McDonald.
The Male Under-19 team and Senior Female side were also given trophies and medals for their successes at the Inter-county competitions, while Most Valuable Players Kevlon Anderson and Erva Giddings were presented with a bicycle each.
Remarks
Attorney-at-Law Arudranauth Gossai, who delivered the feature address, spoke on the importance of cricket to the county.
“At this juncture of our history as a country when our major employer in Berbice, the Guyana Sugar Corporation, is forced to downsize its operations because of financial constraints, cricket becomes even more important to our young people,” Gossai pointed out.
He added, “To my mind cricket plays the most important role in one aspect of our lives, and that is unity. Nothing brings us together as a people with one voice but cricket- we all know that. It is the sole unifying force in our county and in our country.”
Gossai also had a piece of advice for the Board members.
“One of the issues that was raised in the court proceedings involving the Berbice Cricket Board was that certain clubs shouldn’t be allowed to vote because they haven’t played cricket. So if they haven’t played cricket, whose role and function it is to ensure that they do play cricket? It is the Board. So I urge the Board let that not happen again. Let that issue that clubs who do not play cricket should be excluded seize to exist in Berbice. We as a people have to have to urge the Board and pull them up when they are falling short. They have to ensure cricket is played in Berbice,” Gossai stressed.
In his remarks, President Hilbert Foster spoke of the gains made by his executives in three months and the vision he has for cricket in Berbice.
“I do not intend to serve long as the President of the Berbice Cricket Board, even one year would be enough for me as my main objective now is to develop new leaders at the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club. However, whatever the time spent here, my vision is that the Berbice Cricket Board would become the best Cricket Board in the West Indies and to be the role model to others to emulate,” Foster told the gathering.
He continued, “Cricket must be played at all levels, all of our players in spite of club, race, gender or location must be given the equal chance to fulfill their potentials and that the Berbice Cricket Board be an agent of change. We have started on the long road to success, but there is still a long way to go. It is my sincere hope that all of us can work together as a team to develop Berbice Cricket.”
