Former Guyana Harpy Eagles batsman Vishaul Singh said he plans to take legal action against his former employers, the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), for a combination of issues ranging from “no payment since August 2022” to “damage to his professional career”.
Speaking to members of the media on Friday from the United States of America, Singh expressed dismay over statements from the then Chairman of the Senior Selection Panel, Ravindranauth Seeram, and the lack of communication from the GCB top brass.
Singh, who was on an ‘A’ contract, claimed that though he was not receiving payments, “Cricket West Indies was still paying his salary to the GCB up to until December 2022.”
The former Test player presented an email thread with a series of correspondence between him and the GCB where he constantly pressed for answers to no avail, and it even saw the intervention of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).
News Room Sport reached out to GCB President Bissoondyal Singh on Friday and he indicated he is aware of the situation, but offered not to give an official comment given it is a legal matter.
The 34-year-old batter has subsequently retired from national duties, but indicated he has an offer from another franchise to play First-Class cricket.
“Firstly, Cricket West Indies, myself, and WIPA did seek to end things on a good note as per se with the Guyana Cricket Board which I was in the process of doing before the Guyana Cricket Board went on record in saying they didn’t hear from me in six to seven months. The evidence is there, I have been in contact with the Guyana Cricket Board, with all the executives, with all the people that are in charge at the franchise level for all of these six to seven months.”
During a press briefing in January 2023 to answer questions on the Guyana Harpy Eagles squad for the upcoming Four-Day season, Seeram stated, “Vishaul Singh basically was given a contract by the board, he never turns up for training sessions [and] I don’t know if he ever got contact with the board [but] he never got contact with us so that puts him out.”
Noting that the period of no contact by Singh was “six to seven months”, Seeram in response to questions about whether the panel reached out to the batsman, stated, “If you are a contracted player the panel does not need to reach out to the player, the player needs to reach out to the panel.”
Singh said he “applied for a NOC [No Objection Certificate]” during the off-season but while his request “was acknowledged, it was “not granted”.
He subsequently departed Guyana.
“That [Seeram’s statement] has done harm to my professional career, as I am going into a professional coaching career as anyone seeks to employ me will look at that and think that I am a delinquent worker. So, yes as we speak, my lawyers are preparing legal action against the Guyana Cricket Board.”
Further noting that he is “open to any talks with the Guyana Cricket Board”, Singh did not say what remedy he is seeking, but that the legal teams can decide on a potential settlement.
A former captain of the Guyana Jaguars, Singh revealed he spoke to a GCB Executive in an unofficial capacity but “no one has spoken to him officially on the matter.”
Ahead of the 2022-23 contract period, Singh was placed in the players’ draft despite being the franchise’s second-leading run-scorer the previous season.
He and Antony Adams were drafted.
STATEMENT FROM VISHAUL SINGH:
“I am here to set the record straight on the abrupt ending of my First-Class career and resignation from the Guyana Harpy Eagles squad.
The events of the past few months mean that it will not be possible for me to continue to represent the franchise with the discipline, distinction, and character that I have over the years.
I had reached out to the GCB for a NOC (no objection certificate – attached) along with many teammates in June -July 2022 when there was an indefinite break given to all players after the first class season had ended, this was however never granted to me but to my other teammates.
Nevertheless, I looked passed that and was in communication with the board from September (when the requested NOC was supposed to have ended) via email on a way forward to continue my commitment to the franchise and continue to make the people of Guyana proud.
These emails that can be provided upon request will show the repeated attempts by myself and WIPA and acknowledged by the current GCB for a meeting.
This meeting to this date has never happened and the GCB went on record saying they never heard from me in 6-7 months after signing my contract.
This statement has caused tremendous damage to my professional career as a coach and has brought my professional work ethic and commitment into question.
It must be noted that my payment after August 2022 was stopped without the knowledge of Cricket West Indies who continued sending salaries for me to the GCB. I reached out to Cricket West Indies and WIPA who made giant strides in making a way forward but the GCB seemed hell-bent on soiling my name and character.”
This is so sad. Why try to keep a good man down when he has the full potential of becoming a first class cricketer. I do hope that Mr. Singh’s matter would be given the full justice it deserves.