By Avenash Ramzan
Ex-President of the Berbice Cricket Board and former Vice-President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), 85-year-old Malcolm Peters, has been appointed by the GCB as the Cricket Ombudsman.
The role of the Cricket Ombudsman, as outlined in the Cricket Administration Act, is to verify the Register of Clubs and for performing the functions of Returning Officer for the elections of the membership of the GCB.
The position of Cricket Ombudsman became vacant following elections at the GCB on March 29, 2021, which was conducted by Attorney-at-Law Kamal Ramkarran, who was appointed by Sport Minister Charles Ramson Jr. as stipulated by the Cricket Administration Act.
After Ramkarran duties ended at the conclusion of the ‘first elections’ of the GCB, the onus was now on the new Board to appoint the second Ombudsman.
That appointment was made in June this year, President of the GCB Bissoondyal Singh outlined during a two-hour long press conference at the Grand Coastal Hotel on Saturday, the Board’s first such public engagement since being elected over eight months ago.
Peters was the lone nominee for the post, and received overwhelming support from representatives of the three county Boards- Berbice, Demerara and Essequibo.
“He was elected unanimously at the June Ordinary General Meeting, with all three Boards present; unopposed,” Singh announced.
The GCB head revealed that Peters has already presided over several elections since his appointment, among them East Bank Demerara, North Essequibo, East Bank Essequibo and Upper Corentyne.
Peters was part of the Stakeholders group, that included the majority of the current GCB executives, who fought against the previous GCB administration.
Quizzed on Peters’ ability to function in a neutral and objective manner, Singh said he is “extremely confident” the Berbician would fulfill that mandate.
GCB Secretary Ronald Williams concurred with Singh, stating that Peters “is a man of integrity.”
“I wish to state that he cannot do anything outside of what he is guided to do because he is guided by the Cricket Administration Act 2014.”
