Ramkessoon victory on cards

According to the cricket board’s estimates, the former West Indies Youth team captain and tireless administrator will command at least 27 votes.

This will give Deryck Murray of the Friends of Cricket group 18 votes and the runners-up slot.

The Cricket Board also expects Ramkessoon to get one or two more votes and record another crushing defeat for Murray, as was the case two years ago when he lost 30-13 to Ellis Lewis for the top spot.

Other officers who anticipate being on the winning slate by the same number of votes are Baldath Mahabir for first vice-president; Patrick Rampersad, going for second vice-president; Deonarine Jaggernath, up for secretary; and Richard de Souza, returning as treasurer.

And despite the frenzied campaigning by the Friends of Cricket, the TTCB did an assessment of its support base for the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday night on the theme: "Not what they intend to do, but what have they done?"’

And it was unanimously endorsed by representatives of all units who have the right to vote on tomorrow that the Board’s nominees will win 27-18, at least.

Ramkessoon is reported to have asked members to work in harmony with him so that he could continue the Board’s development thrust and maintain their reputation of being the best organised sports association in Trinidad and Tobago.

Alloy Lequay, Chief Executive of the TTCB, also predicted the victory for his officers at a Media Luncheon yesterday at the Sir Frank Worrell Cricket Development Centre, Balmain, Couva. The function was personally organised by Lequay as he prepares to retire as CEO at the Annual General Meeting with Ellis Lewis, the outgoing president expected to succeed him.

Lequay is retiring after serving cricket for 49 years and said he feels satisfied that he has contributed to the growth and development of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago.

"I leave with no regrets except that may, just may be, I could have completed Phase Three at the National Cricket Centre and that is having it prepared with the construction of pavilions etc, but in a way I am passing on the baton to others so that it would be part of their mission to accomplish."

Lequay who was voted as Sports Administrator in 1990 and received the Stollmeyer Award , still recalled contribution to table tennis which he served for 29 years. He said that the 14-man team that he led to the People’s Republic of China in 1973 was one of his major achievements, especially when he was selected to speak for the 86 countries on the farewell night at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. "That certainly was my greatest moment in table tennis," he added. In cricket his fight against the lords to win control of the game since 1977 and the fact that he has begun the construction of the National Cricket Centre are two of his other major achievements. He said he hopes that the new officers would continue the process of completing the exercise.

Lequay believes that others will want to contest the TTCB’s Elections in future but the challenge should come from within so that there could be continuity of operations in the interest of the Board and cricket generally.

"There must be no confrontation and no chaos and no confusion at the level of the Board but that whatever is done must be stamped with integrity, honesty, transparency and accountability," he added.

Lequay said that his leadership style is different from that of Ramkessoon. "No two individuals are alike in the world but all he needs is the support and goodwill of the rest of officers, and the cricketing fraternity generally for him to deliver what is expected of him," Lequay said.

He knew that in his case he was unopposed for the post of president for 27 years although others may be eyeing the post.

"But I wish Dudnath and his team the best of luck to carry cricket to the top rung of the cricket ladder in the region," the "Chief" as he is affectionately called, said.

Lequay is prepared to still work behind the scenes to help cricket move forward, whenever he is called upon to do so, but in the meantime he is completing a book on cricket titled "A Tale of Three Eras.

The informative and historical book is expected to be released in the next few months.