Is Cricket administration getting from bad to worse?

What is the exact state of the administration of Cricket here in St Vincent and the Grenadines?

The progression in lack of vibrancy, seemingly institutionalised flaunts in governance, detachment from the cricketing public are just some of the worrying signs for the St Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association (SVGCA) Inc., an organization that once held pride of place on the sporting ladder.

As such with the SVGCA’s invisibility, it is conspicuous that the sport is relegating itself close to oblivion.

Consequently, the myriad of concerns are mounting, despite the musical chairs played in the last four years, relative to personnel within the administrative set up of the SVGCA Inc.

The organization has been racking up duck after duck in recent years.

Its inability or lack of fervour to consistently convene its annual general meetings, sits top of the tree as the biggest faux pas.

What is tantamount to reneging on its mandate and responsibilities, successive executives have failed to, in a timely manner provide an Auditor’s Report and Financial Statement year after year.

Festering and harbouring gangrene, at the last annual general meeting held

September, 2023, when a new executive was installed, there was much debate on the absence of the 2022 and 2023 Report and Statement.

It was that “delay” in these pertinent documents, that was proffered by Romel Currency who resigned as President of the SVGCA Inc. in January, 2023.

These matters, if they were addressed, were never reported publicly, even as Miles Bascombe held the leadership until he too departed for greener pastures as the Director of Cricket for Cricket West Indies.

Things have gone merrily further south, even with the advent of the Dougal James-led executive in September, 2023.

Evidently, the disconnect between the Cricket and general sporting public since, has extended, as deaf ears, closed eyes and lethargic, demotivated minds are in full effect.

The neglect of the SVGCA Inc’s website and sporadic press releases, tell the story.

However, emphasis has been placed on a photo -driven Facebook page, but this is insufficient to fuel interest in the youngsters.

This column has over the years bemoaned the absence of a structure geared at developing youths in a measured way via a national programme, but to no avail.

Whilst the neglect prevails unabated, our cricket fortunes in general, are few and far between.

And, whilst preference is being skewed towards the shorter forms of the sport, the shame book is in the grasp of the SVGCA Inc.’s Secretariat.

The current state of play relative to the ongoing T/20 competition, whilst weekly, there is the much- appreciated releases of the fixtures; they are undone, and scores and details of the matches are not forthcoming.

It is a pointless exercise in just publishing fixtures, when the results are most important.

Hence, when bundled, St Vincent and the Grenadines’ Cricket is going nowhere and is doing so with break neck speed.

This continued operation of the SVGCA Inc. is going untethered as the executive is rudderless, and the affiliates equally toothless.

It is opportune for those elected to serve, to do a check of themselves and a review of their stewardship.

Obviously, their innings will be in single figures, with some of the batters failing to trouble the scorers.

Despite all the highlighted, protracted short comings, this column will not join the popular public opinion that the current executive of the SVGCA Inc., is the worst ever. However, it is reasonable to conclude, that it is far from being good.