The Georgetown Cricket Umpires and Scorers Association (GCUSA) has announced the immediate withdrawal of umpiring services for matches involving Georgetown Cricket Club (GCC) and Malteenoes Sports Club, following reports of threats and abuse towards officials during Saturday’s Sherwin Williams Second-Division T20 final at Bourda.
In a statement yesterday, the association said the withdrawal would remain in place until the Georgetown Cricket Association (GCA) takes appropriate disciplinary action and the matter is resolved.
Malteenoes were declared winners by three runs in the November 7 final, but a dispute over possible slow-over-rate penalties and contrasting accounts of disturbances surrounding the finish have prompted calls for an inquiry.
The GCUSA said match officials reported verbal abuse, intimidation and threats to their lives while performing their duties. It condemned the reported conduct and said umpires, scorers and match referees must be able to work without fearing for their safety.
The association said it would review its position following the GCA’s disciplinary process and could take further measures to protect its members.
GCC, in a statement issued on November 8, called for a review of footage and disciplinary action over what it described as intimidation of umpires and scorers. The club attributed the confusion at the finish to conflicting messages about possible penalty runs and what it said were premature incursions onto the field by Malteenoes supporters.
A GCC administrator gave a further account, saying there had been disagreement among officials over whether slow-over-rate provisions applied to the final. The administrator said GCC celebrated prematurely because they believed penalty runs should have been awarded.
Those accounts do not establish which interpretation of the playing conditions was correct.
In a subsequent statement on November 9, GCC called for a formal inquiry and accused journalist and commentator Sean Devers of contributing to the disorder. The club also requested a review of his venue access and press privileges.
Devers disputed the accusation in a Facebook response, saying he had challenged what he believed was an incorrect decision concerning slow-over-rate penalties. He maintained that he was responding to the dispute rather than instigating it.
Devers acknowledged that he had overreacted and expressed regret for losing his composure. He said his reaction followed what he described as a threat against him.
Responsibility for the reported disturbances remains disputed. The Georgetown Cricket Association has not issued a statement on the matter.
A GCA official has reportedly said that the body responsible for administrating cricket in the city needs reports from all parties involved before going to the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) with the dispute.
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