Dinas laughs at TTCB disciplinary proceedings

The Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) yesterday announced its disciplinary committee is investigating a report on an alleged incident that occurred last year involving Sport Company Chairman Dinanath Ramnarine. The former West Indies spinner is, however, unfazed by the disciplinary proceedings into his “conduct and behaviour” at the Central Zonal Council level.

Ramnarine, who is also a TTCB board member, has been at loggerheads with the Azim Bassarath-led administration with the former challenging the incumbent for the post of president. The issue has escalated into a legal battle with Ramnarine, former TT captain Daren Ganga and other National League Representatives, seeking to change the TTCB constitution to a one-man one-vote system and replace the 12 outgoing votes enjoyed by the Executive.

In a media release yesterday, the TTCB announced a number of committees, including a National Disciplinary Committee headed by Shaheed Allaham, to deal with the alleged incident involving Ramnarine. Manohar Ramsaran, interim chairman of the Central Zone, said yesterday the alleged incident took place around October last year.

The TTCB press release yesterday, stated, “In the recent past, members have also gone beyond the Board’s internal processes, and engaged the High Court of Trinidad and Tobago...However, the TTCB has always conducted its affairs in keeping with its constitution, first drafted in 1980 and since reviewed on several occasions.”

Bassarath, in an interview with Newsday yesterday, insisted, “This is not an attack on Mr Ramnarine. I want to make that abundantly clear, and I didn’t have anything to do with the matter.”

Ramnarine, however, thinks differently. He described the disciplinary proceedings as laughable and pointed fingers at the TTCB president.

“This is laughable, Bassarath at it again. I sincerely hope that the media follows this matter carefully.I will continue to advocate for good governance, transparency and accountability,” he said.

The former president of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA) added, “My behaviour has always been exemplary. It has always been beyond reproach. I wouldn’t conduct myself improperly.”

The TTCB, announcing other committees such as marketing/business development and selectors, said the committees “have been strengthened to ensure free, fair and expeditious handling of all disciplinary issues coming before the board. They are set-up to deal with both on-field, and off-field matters related to the playing, and/or administration of the sport in Trinidad and Tobago.”

The other matter before the disciplinary committee relates to an issue of points allocation in a weather-affected match, with implications for promotion in the Championship Division (North/ Central Zone) involving a protest by Queen’s Park about a fixture between Monroe Road and Santa Cruz.