Ali warns of implementation of IRC report

NOMINATED member of the TT Cricket Board (TTCB) and former national cricketer Zaheer Ali says any attempt to implement the Independent Review Committee (IRC) report may amount to further breaches of the local cricketing body’s constitution.

“Ratification of the breaches of the TTCB Constitution in the appointment of the IRC and its terms of reference is not an option,” Ali said in a statement yesterday.

Ali agreed that an independent and impartial review of the TTCB legal and constitutional framework was needed, and has suggested the TTCB approach the High Court or President Paula-Mae Weekes to do so “because the ‘sport of cricket’ is a public good.”

The report is expected to be discussed tomorrow when the TTCB holds its second quarterly meeting.

In September 2017, the IRC was appointed to look at the constitution of the local cricketing body and make recommendations.

The three-person IRC, which included Justice Vashiest Kokaram, newspaper columnist Dr Shiela Rampersad and former TTCB president Ellis Lewis, presented a report to the executive of the TTCB on February 22.

Ali has previously questioned the legitimacy of the IRC and has adopted the position that the the appointment and submission of the IRC’s report attracted serious constitutional and legal concerns which questioned the legitimacy and independence of the IRC and placed the IRC’s report in uncertainty.

To demonstrate his position, Ali said there was no notice or disclosure of the resolution prior to the special meeting on August 10, 2017, at which the IRC was appointed.

He said this was a mandatory requirement in accordance with Article 13.02 of the TTCB’s constitution.

Ali said the constitutional breaches were highlighted by members at the August meeting and brought to the attention of the TTCB’s general secretary and the IRC for immediate and corrective action.

He said despite given the opportunity to correct the breaches, nothing was done to give proper notice of the resolution and appointment of the IRC.

He emphasied the TTCB could not now seek members’ permission to ratify the report to legalise the appointment of the IRC and its report.

He is also calling for TTCB elections to be held in two months to promote stability and good administration in the cricketing body, pending the withdrawal of a legal challenge by former West Indies cricketers Dinanath Ramnarine and Daren Ganga who are contending that specific articles of the TTCB’s constitution governing the election process are unconstitutional. The election of a new executive was stopped on October 29, 2016.

President of the TTCB Azim Bassarath said recently the TTCB executive cannot make any final decision on the adoption of the IRC report as it was is up to the entire 49-member board.

He said some stakeholders have expressed grave reservations about the recommendations with some totally opposed to it.

He said the IRC report cannot be adopted lock, stock and barrel without studied debate and discussion, at the board level when all views and considerations of the executive, affiliates and nominated members will be taken into consideration.

Ganga has advocated for the immediate adoption of the IRC report and has signalled his intention to withdraw his lawsuit if the TTCB accepts the report and implements its recommendations, specifically as it relates to the holding of elections by July. According to Ganga and Ramnarine, the report was commissioned by the TTCB and addressed the same concerns they raised in their lawsuit.

Ganga has also said the current executive of the TTCB was unwilling to accept the recommendations of the report because they might lose their jobs.