BY HERMAN ROOP DASS Sunday, November 1 2009

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THE MOVEMENT For Change has swept the four-year- old cricket administration of Deryck Murray out of the sporting landscape of the country.

Azim Bassarath has defeated outgoing president Deryck Murray by 26 votes to 23 at the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) Annual General Meeting held at the National Cricket Centre, Balmain, Couva, yesterday.

Under Bassarath’s leadership the Movement for Change made several telling inroads into the respective zones and other organisations which played a vital role in the elections yesterday.

Newly elected TTCB president Bassarath said the last administration ran cricket in many negative ways and those who voted them out “must be congratulated for their sense of commitment and dedication”.

The Murray administration came under immense scrutiny for boycotting the West Indies Cricket Board Annual General Meeting in Antigua and Barbuda earlier this year. Former general secretary of the TTCB, Forbes Persaud was also quoted as saying that Trinidad and Tobago might break away from the West Indies which was greeted negatively throughout the Caribbean. The outgoing administration was also forced to fend off charges about the mismanagement of affairs of local cricket as well as not fully accounting for decisions taken on behalf of the TTCB. Bassarath said the new administration would take a close look at the constitutional changes that were made as their vision “is to make wrong things right for the sportsmen of Trinidad and Tobago.”

First vice president is Dudnath Ramkissoon, who was a former chairman of the selection committee under Deryck Murray’s administration, before he was unceremoniously removed. He defeated Leo Doodnath 25-23. Lalman Kowlessar from the Central Zone was elected unopposed as the second vice president.

Arjoon Ramlal defeated the digraced Forbes Persaud as secretary 25-23, while Sukesh Maniam got the nod as treasurer. Maniam and Movement for Change candidate Mahabir Ragoonanan both had 24 votes with Murray using his casting vote in favour of East Zone’s Maniam. The six members on the Executive Commitee now comprise Dr Allen Sammy, Patrick Rampersad, Don Asgarali, Ann Browne-John, Suruj Ragoonath and Martin Lumkin.

The outvoted executive were: William Wallace, Ignatius Trim, Taradath Sonny, Baldath Boochoon, and Maurice Thomas.