Lequay: New boards’ unity pledge, ‘rhetoric’

Following their election at the annual general meeting of the board at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva, on Saturday, the elected members all said they were prepared to work together and in unity for the good of the board and cricket.

But Lequay said, "this was only said to satisfy public consumption and not a realistic assessment."

He expressed the view that the board was now divided almost equally between Loyalists and "so-called Friends." He pointed out at the executive level, the Loyalist held a 6-5 majority.

At the elections, the Friends of Cricket man Deryck Murray was elected new president, beating Loyalists’ Dudnath Ramkessoon, who was later returned as 1st vice-president. Azim Bassarath is 2nd vice-president and Forbes Persad secretary, while Loyalist Richard de Souza remains treasurer.

Completing the executive are Omar Khan and Dr Allen Sammy (Friends of Cricket) while Loyalists nominees were Patrick Rampersad, Arjoon Ramlal, Ann John-Browne and Leo Dudnath.

Lequay said "The after shocks of the October 29 tremour will soon be felt on the cricketing landscape of the country."

The man who gave 49 years of his life to cricket, and whose vision was the establishment of the National Cricket Centre, said, "I always preached the virtues of stability over the years that I served but unfortunately this is now shattered, as individuals pursue their own personal agendas which they claim are in the interest of cricket.

"God has always guided my journey and happily for me I retired at the right time. I will now view the unfolding drama from the pavilion." Lequay said.

Lequay is now going to complete his second book A Tale of Three Eras, which should be released within the next six months.