By WALTER ALIBEY Thursday, October 22 2009

THERE are now doubts over next week Saturday’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.

Yesterday at a press conference at the Hotel Normandie in St Ann’s, the Movement For Change which has publicly criticised the governance of cricket under the current Deryck Murray-led administration is contemplating legal action.

Yesterday Baldath Mahabir, a senior member of the Movement For Change revealed that numerous attempts were made to receive clarity from the cricket board concerning the results of the South Zone elections, but they have received no response.

Mahabir said that it is based on this non-response by the cricket board to their questions that they are seeking legal action.

Patrick Rampersad, another senior member of the Movement For Change said his group will assess its momentum within the next few days before making a decision on whether it should take legal action or not.

However Rampersad pointed out that they are being advised by their attorneys that legal action seems imminent.

Yesterday the Movement For Change chastised the Murray-led administration for the manner the sport is being managed. And from a slide-show that consisted of photos which Mahabir said, had been taken only a week ago, highlighted the Sir Frank Worrell Development Centre at Balmain Couva, and its equipment in a state of disrepair.

The photos also showed the outdoor nets at the Sir Frank Worrell facility with grass at knee-height. The equipment used for weight-training was also seen stacked in a corner as though it has not been used in months.

A broken and dirty toilet as well as a wall that Mahabir said, had collapsed only days after it was erected also served to highlight the alleged mismanagement of cricket in Trinidad and Tobago.

Mahabir, who was a member of the Alloy Lequay-led administration further revealed that from the board’s accounts which he recently received, a whopping $37 million had been spent.

He called for proper accountability and promised that the Movement For Change will, among other things, be committed to good governance; ensure that their subventions are for all clubs; provide a more professional and progressive management style as well as be open for an independent audit at anytime.

Mahabir said he was happy to hear that Murray, the former national and West Indian cricketer, now administrator admit that the success of the national cricket team in India did not come overnight. But he criticised the board for having no success at the Under-15 and 19 levels during their tenure.

“The achievement of the present TT cricketers in India was due mainly to the hard work which the previous administration had put in towards their development,” said Mahabir.