The A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Coalition has strongly condemned the public endorsement of President Irfaan Ali by the President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Mr. Bissoondyal Singh, calling the move “unacceptable” and a threat to the independence of cricket administration in Guyana.
In a statement issued Wednesday, the Coalition expressed alarm over Singh’s declaration that he and the entire GCB membership support President Ali’s bid for a second term. The APNU labeled the move “outrageous” and called on cricket fans and the wider Guyanese public to reject what they see as an improper politicisation of a historically non-partisan institution.
“This unfortunate development does not augur well for the healthy progress of cricket in Guyana,” the statement said. “A more thoughtful President of the Board would have realized that an endorsement of a politician would call into question the fairness and impartiality of the Board.”
The Coalition referenced a prior occasion in March 2025 when the GCB executive wore red—widely associated with the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP)—during a courtesy call on President Ali following Singh’s re-election. That event, APNU suggested, foreshadowed the Board’s growing political alignment.
Concerns Over ICC Standards and Government Interference
APNU further warned that such overt political alignment could place the GCB in conflict with international cricket governance standards. Specifically, the Coalition pointed to Article 2.4 (D) of the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Constitution, which prohibits governmental interference in cricket administration.
“The ICC has taken strong positions in the past, including intervening directly in Guyana’s cricket affairs when political interests attempted to influence the regional board,” the statement noted. “The GCB’s endorsement may force the ICC to once again scrutinise Guyana’s compliance with international norms.”
The Coalition cautioned that the endorsement could be perceived as an invitation for further state interference in cricket, which they argued would damage the integrity of the game and its administration.
“This alliance between the Board and President Ali will almost ensure that the latter will attempt to control this organization. That is in the PPP’s DNA,” the Coalition asserted.
A Break with Tradition
APNU described the GCB’s decision as a departure from over 80 years of cricket tradition in Guyana, in which both the British Guiana Cricket Board of Control and later the GCB steered clear of direct political entanglements.
“In breaking with tradition, the GCB has ushered in a sad day for the administration of cricket,” the Coalition stated, adding that “none of its members had the decency and courage to take a principled stand against this ill-considered and unacceptable decision.”
Call for Retraction
On behalf of what it termed “cricket fans and decent-minded Guyanese,” APNU called for the GCB to immediately withdraw its endorsement of President Ali.
“The integrity of cricket in Guyana must not be sacrificed on the altar of political allegiance,” the Coalition warned.
Neither President Irfaan Ali nor the Guyana Cricket Board has publicly responded to the Coalition’s statement at the time of publication.
See full statement below:
THE ENDORSEMENT OF PRESIDENT IRFAAN ALI BY PRESIDENT OF THE GUYANA CRICKET BOARD BISSOONDYAL SINGH IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND SHOULD BE DENOUNCED BY CRICKET FANS AND THE GUYANESE PUBLIC AT LARGE
The APNU Coalition is alarmed by the report that the President of the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), Mr Bissoondyal Singh, has publicly stated that he and his entire membership have endorsed President Irfaan Ali for a second term. Without hesitation, we denounce this outrageous decision. We note that this endorsement is a logical follow-up to the occasion when the entire Executive of the GCB wore red shirts when they called on President Ali after Bissoondyal Singh’s re-election in March 2025.
This unfortunate development does not augur well for the healthy progress of cricket in Guyana. A more thoughtful President of the Board would have realized that an endorsement of a politician would call into question the fairness and impartiality of the Board as regards the question of selection, financial administration, and its alignment with international cricket norms.
Furthermore, (and this is the rub), the International Cricket Council (ICC) (Article 2.4 D of its Constitution) has adopted a strict position against governmental interference in the management of cricket in member countries. The member state in this specific instance is Cricket West Indies (CWI).
We are certain that this endorsement will put the GCB at odds with the CWI, as the ICC is most likely to ask about the GCB in Guyana endorsing a political candidate. President Bissoondyal must be reminded that the ICC did directly intervene in the administration of cricket in Guyana when a certain official with ties to the gambling world attempted to gain election as President of the West Indies Cricket Board. The ICC made it known that if that official were elected, he would not be welcome to participate in its proceedings.
No doubt, this endorsement is a direct invitation to the government to interfere in the administration of this wonderful game of our country. An alliance between the Board and President Ali will almost ensure that the latter will attempt to control this organization. This is in President’s Ali and the PPP’s DNA. This will have a negative impact on cricket and the way it is played and administered. The APNU Coalition has no choice but to condemn the GCB’s move.
The main bodies which have administered cricket in Guyana, first the British Guiana Cricket Board of Control ( BGCBC), and subsequently the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), through astute leadership, managed over the more than eighty years of cricket succeeded in avoiding the deadening hand of political interference to darken the administration of cricket in Guyana.
In breaking with tradition, the GCB has ushered in a sad day for the administration of cricket. Worse, none of its members had the decency and courage to take a principled stand against this ill-considered and unacceptable decision.
On behalf of the cricket fans and decent-minded Guyanese, we demand that the GCB withdraw its endorsement.
