October 2011 - Posts

• Ram Varadarajan announces candidacy. Offers 'bold new plan' for leadership.

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket Comments In an exclusive interview with DreamCricket.com, California businessman Ram Varadarajan announces his plan to run for president of USACA. The first half of the interview is below. Part two will be published on Thursday. DreamCricket: Thanks for agreeing to speak to DreamCricket.com and for announcing your candidacy on our website. It has been an eventful three years for you personally. On the professional front, the company you founded in 1997, Arcot Systems, was sold to CA Technologies. Reportedly in an all cash transaction valued at $200 million. How do you feel about that? RV: It is always good to have the fruits of one’s labor be rewarded. I am happy for myself and all the stakeholders - employees, partners, investors and customers. My team at Arcot and I had spent a decade building this business from the proverbial Silicon Valley startup on a napkin into one of the most respected security and anti-fraud solutions company in the world. Building a successful company is all about leadership, team building, fund raising, gaining confidence in your stock holders and meeting the expectations of your customers. Equally important are qualities such as – highest level of ethical conduct, transparency and communication. I am glad I could, with my team, achieve all of these. Arcot has a great future, the business continues to do very well and my team is continuing our mission with renewed vigor. While I am still actively engaged with the business at Arcot, I no longer have the pressures that an entrepreneur CEO has. I have the freedom and bandwidth to pursue my interest in US cricket more vigorously. And I truly believe that the lessons and successes of my decade at Arcot can all be put to work once again to make USACA a world class sports institution. DreamCricket: The perception within USACA circles is that you have stayed away from cricket since you lost the election to Gladstone Dainty. In fact, some think you completely disappeared from the scene until now. What do you tell critics who think you have reemerged around election time? RV: As I said after the 2008 election, there is a time for politics, but when the political season ends, we need to work together and put cricket first. Because, as you know, cricket in USA has plenty of politics, what it really needs is development. Gladstone Dainty and the newly elected team got their chance to provide leadership. Had I won that election, I would have expected the same opportunity. DreamCricket: But since you were not front and center over the last three years, maybe that has led to the perception that you have left the cricketing scene. RV: Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have not stayed away from cricket and will always serve cricket. Since the last elections, I have remained active at various levels. I have continued my involvement at the grass roots level in NWR. Nationally, I have supported various cricket initiatives – especially youth activities. I advised sports marketing entities to bring professional cricket to the US. I advised USACA officials on fund raising – even arranging senior level meetings with a key potential sponsor. I held the first of its kind national forum on youth cricket to stitch together the various youth activities – several good things came out of it including a national repository for cricket statistics – a key finding of that forum. This national statistical repository, which DreamCricket.com is hosting, is financed by my foundation. Additionally several institutions got valuable advice on incorporating as 501(c)3 organizations – increasing their ability to raise funds. I could go on and on, but I guess the point is that I have been, and will continue to be involved in making USA cricket one of the most successful and vibrant cricket organizations in the world. I know it is a very long haul, but I am certain we will get there. So as I said, I have been in the thick of cricket. Probably, the right thing to say would be that I stayed away from the media and have certainly not been heavily involved politically since the last elections. DreamCricket: Tell us more about your foundation. Why did you start the New Inning Foundation? What are its activities? RV: There are plenty of small, individual, laudatory initiatives across America to help grow cricket. But there were none that dreamt big and followed up with execution. My vision is that the success and growth of cricket in USA lies in putting significant money, time, effort, and focus on youth cricket. New Inning Foundation has been created with that single objective in mind. There was certainly a need for a philanthropic foundation devoted to promoting, nourishing and celebrating youth cricket in America. New Inning Foundation achieves this by working symbiotically with community organizations whilst leveraging our financial and administrative resources. The funding is provided by me and a few private donors. The New Inning Foundation has begun in earnest. Its initial focus is on highlighting and recognizing talent at the youth level. Towards that end we set up the national score repository for youth cricket statistics – it now contains scorecards for youth games at regional and national levels. Over time, this repository has been expanded to all inter-regional and ICC cricket. Now that all the scores are recorded, it also enhances transparency when it comes to selection. Image (right) - Ram Varadarajan The other thing it enables us to do as a community is to recognize and celebrate talent. The New Inning Foundation was also among the presenters of the USA Cricket Awards last year. In 2010, 10 cricketers were selected for their achievement including such assessments as performing under pressure and commitment. Awards comprised of a plaque and a cash reward. New Inning Foundation has established scholarships for free indoor net-practice for deserving junior cricketers. The foundation has also supported the expansion of the USYCA and facilitated equipment donations to schools across USA, funded printing of instructional booklets and promotional material by USYCA for students and teachers. Also, New Inning Foundation has campaigned very hard and been successful in influencing tournament organizations in US cities to take on youth players – by supporting tournament level awards that recognize youth achievement. We have also supported college assistance programs for youth players. I see New Inning Foundation becoming a significant contributor to youth cricket development across America, touching the lives of many aspiring cricketers in this country. It is a first of its kind institution in the US and perhaps worldwide. DreamCricket: That is very impressive and the USA cricket community appreciates your support of the awards. Coming back to the election in 2008, are you still in touch with the three gentlemen who were on your slate who won that election - John Thickett, John Aaron and Manaf Mohamed. Do you think they delivered on the promises that were made last time around as part of the New Inning mandate? RV: I am indeed in touch with them as I am with several key actors in US cricket – both in person and electronically. I brainstorm with them on several cricket topics including ways to get USACA on a sound financial footing. These are good friends that I can lean on for ideas. In fact, the successes (albeit few) of the last 3 years have been led or championed by these gentlemen – formation of Cricket Holdings America LLC, being one poignant example. DreamCricket: How do you rate USACA’s performance over the last three years under the leadership of Mr. Gladstone Dainty? RV: I contested the last election; I am contesting this one. The reasons are largely the same. I feel that USACA management has lacked structure, organizational leadership and transparency. Over the last three years, we have not really seen a common vision as a result of which problems big and small remain unsolved. A consequence of all of this is that there is factionalism, confusion and despair among the cricket lovers, players, volunteers and elected officials. US cricket could have been taken to greater heights and our youth given the opportunities they deserved. My campaign is therefore about addressing all of these. I am confident that I can remedy this. In the midst of all this, we must not forget that a few bright spots did appear. Women’s cricket got a start. The Pearls Cup was a good one-off event. I like the revival of the KA Auty Cup. The establishment of Cricket Holdings America LLC was clearly a singular major achievement and I am proud to say that members on my 2008 slate were instrumental is bringing this about along with the President and the board. This did bring much needed funds allowing for many of the cricket tours that the U-19, men and women have made. But increased activity also leads to increased expectations - governance & execution need to keep up with that. I want to look forward – I know that the situation can be improved significantly. It starts with the top - leadership bringing the cricket community together – that will establish the right priorities, formulate the right structure, team and governance, and energize the participants to take things to the next level. In my view, the leadership should serve the leagues and has to explain the benefit of the decisions to the membership. More efficient communications are naturally very important, which means the President and the board must seek and take input, be open to criticism. USACA must bring value to the leagues beyond just the right to play for the region or for the US team. DreamCricket: How did you get involved with CHA, LLC? What is your role as a board member? RV: As I mentioned earlier, I advised entities that wanted to bring professional cricket to US. I was, therefore, educated in the challenges and opportunities that the LLC presented. Here I was, sitting in the Silicon Valley, home to some of the greatest success stories in corporate America. My own story at Arcot Systems is akin to other Silicon Valley success stories. And I told myself that I must deploy that spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship to cricket administration. Cricket Holdings America LLC presented me with that opportunity. And I accepted. Since being part of Cricket Holdings America LLC, I have executed my duties with the same passion, commitment and leadership that I had for Arcot. DreamCricket: What is your answer to critics that think that you have been 'silenced' by Mr. Dainty by hanging a CHA board position as a carrot? We have seen a lot of criticism lately centered on how the USACA board was not consulted in making board appointments. RV: I contested “Dainty the President” in the last elections. I have nothing against “Dainty the person”. I talked to him then, and I talk to him now. I have never been afraid to be critical about the quality of his administration or about decisions made by the administration. So let that be on record. The fact that Dainty invited me to be part of CHA goes to show that I am issue-based and not personality-based. Now, about the USACA board, the workings of the USACA board are outside my knowledge and influence. There could be several reasons for discord on the USACA board over such appointments including mine – speculating over them is not fruitful. From my standpoint, I was invited by USACA to take a board seat on Cricket Holdings America LLC. I gave it thought and I accepted because I felt that I was fully qualified to join the board and I was confident that I could add value to the board. The USACA board approved. I am positive that many of the board members that had misgivings about the process that USACA adopted actually have no issues with my candidature or selection - I am very confident of that. Let me also make it very clear – my services are pro bono – there is absolutely no compensation for my time and effort and I expect none. DreamCricket: Did you not file your nomination to run for the Regional Representative of the North West Region? Why did you withdraw, preferring instead to join the board of CHA, LLC? RV: I believe USACA had an objective to expand the number of individuals involved in USACA activities. I was told they did not want one person holding two posts. I could continue to help the NWR region in many ways without having the Regional Representative post – and there were several outstanding individuals interested in the position. The CHA board position was an entire new way to serve US cricket interests; I felt I was uniquely qualified and I am privileged to serve. I will serve US cricket at every opportunity that I have. DreamCricket: Coming to the process or deficiency of processes at USACA, what would you have done differently? Do you feel that the USACA governance would have been more transparent had you been at the helm? With respect to the commercial deals and with respect to consensus building that has been lacking. RV: Instead of indulging in hypotheses, let me tell you what I will do differently to immediately improve transparency and confidence. I have a bold new plan for governance and leadership. I will delineate, decentralize, and bring about transparency. Let me explain: On “delineation”: First, I will separate executive management of USACA from cricket administration. The latter should be left to experts who should work without interference from the executive. The process of appointment of coaches, selectors, selection criteria, etc., these are administrative duties and these processes will be transparent and published. Second, I will personally take up the job of mending our fences with the ICC and seek their active financial and governance help in putting USACA back on track. Third, I will introduce term limits: Presidents – max of two terms. Term limits are important for smart governance. Coming to decentralization, USACA has become a large organization and it needs organizational acumen befitting its size. I will delegate more to the VPs and other board members. Everyone in my team will have a well-established portfolio of duties and responsibilities. I will let them perform their duties without interference but with a clear expectation of accountability and ethics. I will also move decision making and funds to the leagues and regions, as a rule. Decentralization also would mean that the administration would have to become more predictable – cricket calendars, board meetings and the like should be on a schedule. Once again, not rocket science; that is how successful companies operate. Finally, I will bring about transparency. In my administration, all board meetings will have an open and closed session. Most of the cricket business can be discussed in open sessions. The open session will be open to all the league presidents. After all, the board is working on their behalf. This in itself will make the working of the board more civilized and productive –the league presidents can see for themselves what is going on. In the closed session, we will discuss any confidential aspects and personnel matters. The structure, conduct and governance of this board will be no different than how it is done in all successful companies globally. Also, in an effort to improve transparency, I will have town hall meetings every quarter so that the broader cricket community can come together, ask, criticize and learn. This is a short list but this is how I think change can be ushered in. As President, my role will be to set the right tone at the top. Everything else follows from there. ______________________ Part 2 DreamCricket: Let us talk about the brief and stuttering engagement with the international community. RV: Having international exposure is critically important for advancing US cricket. That is one reason why our relationship with the ICC needs to be rock solid. There are two types of international exposure – one where we get professional teams to play in the US – once again, The Pearls Cup is an example of this. Under the LLC agreement, such activity will be organized and managed by the Cricket Holdings America LLC. The Pearls Cup was a watershed event. It validated that USA could be a destination for cricket and that we could conduct such an event. The event, ground and the financial results from the event clearly need to be improved – however, it provided a critical learning. The second is where our cricket players play with teams from other nations. The bilateral matches against Jamaica, Canada are all very good for our players. We cannot improve as a team by just playing ICC tournaments. I also applaud the resumption of the K.A. Auty Cup for another reason. It is a long overdue celebration of a truly historic series. I think USA vs. Canada tradition, with some good marketing, can recapture some of the past glory. DreamCricket: Do we need a CEO? What are your thoughts on Don Lockerbie's departure? RV: Absolutely, the role of the CEO is critical for any organization and USACA is no exception. If elected, one of my top priorities will be to fill that post with a competent, committed and respected individual. I worked well with Mr. Lockerbie. Very soon after his appointment, I met with him and offered my assistance. We discussed various options and strategies – including ways of raising funds for USACA. I am not privy to the exact circumstances leading to his departure. DreamCricket: What makes you want to contest again? How different is this election from the last one in 2008? RV: I ran last time because I did not see any other candidate stepping in to lead or bringing change to US cricket. There was a leadership vacuum. There were plenty of folks critical of the then president’s performance – but nobody was willing to make the effort to challenge the status quo. So I stepped in to serve US cricket. I think it was a watershed event. The campaign that I ran was exemplary. I was a virtual unknown and I invested time to meet league presidents and the cricket community, understanding issues and putting together a slate of candidates from across the country and more importantly I spelt out a platform – that platform is still visible at www.newinning.com This time, the situation is more acute and the stakes are higher. However, this time the electorate is more informed. The change that is required is more than just running tournaments and complaining. It is more fundamental. It is about restoring cricket to its glorious track in the US. It is about having the leadership, vision and the executive skills to manage a set of diverse interests. I am confident that I can deliver on all those grounds. DreamCricket: Last time around, you lost by three votes. In fact, one vote in your favor was knocked out due to a technical disqualification. Much has been written about a handful of bogus leagues in 2008, especially in Central East region. Do you agree that things would have turned out differently if bogus leagues were not allowed to vote? What needs to change with respect to the voting process? RV: The way I see it, I lost by three votes in spite of my message being spot on. There were structural reasons for the loss. First, as you pointed out, there were several fake leagues and they were obviously not voting for me. Second, some legitimate leagues were disqualified from voting on technicalities – if they were allowed to vote, they would have likely supported me. Third, I am a skeptic when it comes to proxy voting. This is pure evil. What most readers don’t realize is that in the USACA elections proxy voting is allowed. That means a league president can sign over his ballot to another influential official, say a regional director. There is inherently a fear of reprisal. The regional director may retaliate against a league within the region if the league does not vote for the candidate supported by the regional director. This practice must stop. All voting must be by secret ballot. USACA must set aside funds for the league presidents to travel and vote in person. Or they must authenticate the vote through other means. Technology has evolved to facilitate that. Of late, there is a drive to review the legitimacy of the leagues. I welcome this compliance drive. Had it been in place three years ago, I am confident that I would be the incumbent President. DreamCricket: What is the way forward in the current situation? People want an election but it is an open secret that there are bogus leagues. RV: We need a strict, fair and expeditious way to root out the egregious violators. People are skeptical of the current compliance process for a variety of reasons and some of the critics view it as a political tool to silence opponents. The skepticism also stems from timing - it is an election year. I can understand why people are frustrated. But as I have said, we must give this compliance process a chance. If your question is should we have not initiated a compliance examination sooner, absolutely, I would say yes. USACA should have encouraged a compliance mindset all along, and the membership process should have been well thought through from the beginning. But once again, we have no option but to look at the future and the changes we want to bring in. If elected, one of the top priorities of my administration will be to make sure that membership is handled in an even handed, transparent, consultative and fair manner. DreamCricket: USACA published a revised election timeline after the board meeting this past weekend. Do you think the election will be held according to this new schedule? RV: I am certain it will. The electorate wants an election this year. Remember, the league presidents are the boss – the constitution is the law - not the president or board. DreamCricket: Of late, there has been a lot of unpleasantness. Elections voided; massive distrust on the board; the Secretary has been suspended. Central East’s regional representative is awaiting recognition despite being voted to this role by a majority of the Central East’s leagues. Atlantic Region’s fate hangs in balance. How will you deal with such a thing if it happens under your watch? RV: Leadership is about bringing people together towards a common mission. Factions arise when there is no transparency or communication about goals and the process to achieve them. It is simple, but has to be practiced diligently. I will run an administration where the objectives are that it be transparent, accepting of criticism, and predictable. DreamCricket: But what do you think of the leadership and their methods such as suspension and locking out opponents. How do you feel about that? RV: Clearly organizational cohesiveness has eluded USACA, so the methods of old have not worked. The beliefs that have worked for me are being transparent, inclusive, fair, and process driven. It worked for me for 30 years of my professional life, and an even longer personal life. I don’t see those beliefs failing me when I am the President of USACA. DreamCricket: On the field, in the last three years, starting off at Division 5, USA went to 2011 Division 3 but was relegated to 2012 Division 4. In the U-19 WCQ held in Ireland, USA finished seventh among the associates failing to qualify. What is your assessment? RV: This is clearly a cause for worry. I have spoken personally to US coaches. The good news is that I have been assured that we have the requisite raw skill set in the US. What is not present is the supporting infrastructure to amplify it, polish it and turn it into a winning machine. Let me explain – USACA has done nothing to improve playing conditions – there is no increase in turf wickets, the number of qualified coaches and umpires have not increased in any meaningful way. Even when assistance from the ICC is available – these are being frittered away in mismanagement. We have to increase the pool of qualified players and have a well understood selection process so that players understand that skills and performance will be rewarded. Umpiring too should be consistent and standards are urgently needed. I also believe that we need to redouble our efforts to attract a greater cross section of US society to cricket. I have been encouraging this by supporting Jamie Harrison’s efforts at USYCA - with schools across the country – for which I have been bestowed the “Patron of Youth Cricket” honor. Similarly, we need to redouble our efforts to attract girls to cricket and continue to nurture our nascent efforts with women players. We also need to encourage and equip US teams to play the 20/20 format without taking away from other formats. This format will become an important avenue for professional cricket in the US and our players need every opportunity to make a mark and be noticed in this format. DreamCricket: What needs to be done for the players? How will you change things at the age-group level and senior level? RV: USA has shown that once it focuses on a sport, it can improve its rankings on merit. The best place to start this is at age-group level where disparity among talent is not so huge that it cannot be bridged through channeling resources. I will make such resources available both at national and league levels. By delineating executive management from cricket professionals – there will be a clear separation of duties. The cricket experts and the players themselves will guide us on the coaching, facilities, stipends, match practice and other needs of players. I will, along with the rest of the executive management, generate the funding to fulfill these needs. In my view, there is nothing to prevent the US U-19 team from placing in the top four by 2020. That means we need to start in 2012 at the U11 level. Once we aim for that, the success in the adult tournaments will follow naturally. Being on the board of the CHA LLC, I also see another advantage that we can bring to bear – we can provide a professional career path for US cricket players. DreamCricket: There were some positive steps like bringing in Dipak Patel to coach the U-19 squad for the 2010 U-19 World Cup in New Zealand, Robin Singh was brought in to coach the U-19 team in Ireland, etc. Of course, a lot of money was borrowed or drawn down from CHA to accomplish some of these things. RV: Both of these gentlemen are fine individuals and I have great respect for them. Every team out there has good coaches. The world of cricket is very competitive and there is no substitute for hard work and a goal-oriented approach. We cannot have a haphazard process of selection and then throw the team together at the last minute. It is unfair on the players and the coaches. It is a miracle that we did as well as we did in some of the tournaments. Yes, with a little luck we would have qualified for the U-19 World Cup. But we need to give luck an opportunity to swing our way by assiduous preparation. DreamCricket: You know Nabeel Ahmed, Kenvyn Williams, and Maq Qureshi have already announced their candidacy. Looks like there are others too waiting to declare their candidacy, what do you think is important for the voters as they figure out who to vote for? RV: I am glad that there are contestants – that shows that the electorate cares. I am counting on the fact that the electorate is better informed. We are living in times where the world is rising up and demanding good governance and leadership. The time is now for the old ways to fall and new leadership and governance to take root. My resume and track record clearly set me apart from the other candidates – I will take my message to the league presidents – they know what is important and I am sure they will make a wise choice. DreamCricket: What is your financial vision? RV: Putting USACA on a firm financial footing will be one of my highest priorities as president. A financially stable USACA can then support a number of programs. I firmly believe that empowerment at the local level is essential for USACA. It is consistent with my philosophy to decentralize to the leagues and regions wherever possible. USACA has two fundamental duties. First, it has to provide the framework, structure and governance for growing the sport, and fund the regions and leagues to execute at the local level. Second, it has to provide a forum for teams to play competitive cricket within the US and outside – with other nations and clubs. I will put in place the following financial model to support this in an efficient way. USACA must set up funds for national tournaments and the duties that it has direct responsibility for. USACA must set the goal posts, provide the framework; appoint national level custodians for coaching, umpiring and the like; and spell out the standards that it expects leagues and regions to maintain. Then, USACA should get out of the way. USACA should become a medium for channeling funds to the regions and leagues to achieve the objectives. For example, USACA can specify that leagues start youth programs and women’s programs; meet the set standards for umpiring, coaching, facilities and the like – and provide funds to achieve these. Refresh grants would depend on the progress that the leagues make. We have to get to a state where USACA is making meaningful contributions to the regions and leagues so that they can advance. My administration will accomplish all these - we will raise funds, set goals, incentives, and reward the right behavior. DreamCricket: What is your organizational vision? RV: Once elected, the USACA organization should understand that its job is to serve the cricket leagues in the US and not be the master. I will ensure that there is separation of administrative function from cricket management function. This is the delineation that I spoke about earlier. Among other appointments, there will be a national coach to orchestrate a national blueprint and support local activity. The president is the chief administrator not the chief selector. None of this is news for people who have been involved in professional, winning organizations. My goal would be to bring the same tried and tested models of success to cricket in the US. As mentioned earlier, I will appoint a CEO at the earliest possible. Also, every officer on the board will have a portfolio and the ability and responsibility to execute competently and ethically. The task on hand is very large and requires more specialized skills than the board will possess. This is where volunteers can come in. We are blessed to be in a country where there is phenomenal skill and a spirit of volunteerism. I will broaden the management team by bringing on a 20 person national team of volunteer-leaders for special tasks like event organization, PR, NCAA relations, local government liaison, sponsorship generation, high school outreach, etc. We can also amplify our youth and women's cricket development with specialized help. I will increase professionalism in cricket operations by appointing a paid national coach and converting most of the cricketing positions to be paid ones. We have for far too long counted on volunteers to go above and beyond. Volunteerism is of course very welcome; however, it cannot be a substitute for professional attention. We need a scalable option that will bring in the skill levels that we need to improve the quality of our game. So in my administration, all officials – coaches, managers, and umpires – will be compensated for their time and effort. DreamCricket: Where do you see USACA in three years under your leadership? RV: I see USACA as a harmonious, well-functioning organization. It will have an excellent relationship with the ICC – be a model. It will function predictably. It will be decentralized – we need to push the benefits and much of the decision making down to the leagues. The leagues are the building blocks of cricket in the US. I expect the number of leagues to have increased. USACA will have plenty of funds to carry out its normal cricketing activities – the majority of funds reaching the regions and leagues. USACA will also be working in close cooperation with the Cricket Holdings America LLC thereby giving a path for our cricket players to play professionally. I expect we would have improved cricketing conditions -- built turf wickets, have a fully functioning coaching and umpiring infrastructure and so on. I would also predict that all our cricketing teams will fare better – men, women and youth. DreamCricket: Maq Qureshi has been spending a lot of his own money in promoting cricket - thereby filling a vast gap at the grassroots level. He has also run a successful tournament in Florida. Nabeel’s generosity over the years has also been written about on DreamCricket.com and elsewhere. You too have been donating through your organization but with longer-term goals. And all of you are running in an election. You are putting leagues in a tough situation, especially since the leagues have benefited from the generosity of all of you. RV: Any one working to expand the cricket action is doing the game a service. It is all very welcome. There are many others who are also writing large checks but are not getting nor seeking recognition. But this election is about vision, leadership, integrity and governance. It is not about “cricket philanthropy” it is about “cricket leadership”. DreamCricket: Your claim to fame is your network, integrity, executive management, and corporate track record. But in this economy, do you think you can raise the kind of money and build the kind of support that USACA needs? RV: Absolutely yes. There is always business going on in every economy. A good idea and a good team will always be successful. It is all about the value that we bring. There is plenty of money available for cricket – spent by American sponsors on foreign soil. We need to sell the value of being associated with an upcoming US sport – I know how to sell concepts and value. I have raised over $100 million doing exactly that – in some instances on the basis of an idea on a PowerPoint slide. Even in the worst economic climate there is a dearth of good ideas and always a shortage of capable, committed and proven talent. Not to forget, another source of funding for USACA is through Cricket Holdings America LLC. I will ensure that we do our part to enable success of the LLC. That will guarantee us a significant stream of revenue every year. I already serve on the LLC board – so it will be easier to work to common benefit. DreamCricket: Nabeel Ahmed has been talking of changing the way USACA is run. How do you feel about his decision to resign and his candidacy for the election? RV: I respect Nabeel as a gentleman and a sincere patron of cricket. But here is someone who has played two innings as VP and USACA has not improved much. If you have a seat at the table, you must do your very best to change the ways of the organization. Escaping is not leadership – the ability to stand up and steer the organization to a righteous path is what is wanted today. I welcome Nabeel as a well wisher and patron of cricket – but not at the helm of this organization. DreamCricket: Aren’t you late to the election? I mean, others have announced months ago and the leagues may have committed themselves to them. RV: I saw no advantage in making a press announcement when the election itself was not announced. My own campaign is ongoing and it is progressing very well. I have already begun conversations with the league presidents. I am glad to report that they are very engaged – tough but fair. Most importantly, I am very pleased and energized with the response and support that I am getting. I will run a professional campaign, just like I did last time around. My election website is www.USAcricketVision.com and I encourage everyone to visit. My contact information is posted there as well. DreamCricket: Thanks for your time. RV: You are very welcome. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to speak to the US cricket community.   Posted Oct 26 2011, 05:48 AM with 11 comment(s) Filed under: Nabeel Ahmed, USACA, Women's cricket, Ram Varadarajan, Manaf Mohamed, John Aaron, John Thickett, U-19 cricket, USA cricket, Gladstone Dainty, New Inning Foundation, Maq Qureshi, Kenwyn Williams

• USACA announces results of October 22, 2011 board meeting

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket Media Release - USACA Board of Directors Meeting – Florida October 22, 2011 A USACA board meeting was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida to cover a range of governance and management issues ranging from approval of an independent compliance auditor, election auditor to the timing of regional and national election. In attendance were Gladstone Dainty, Michael Gale, Rafey Syed, John Thickett, Ahmed Jeddy, Shelton Glasgow, Krish Prasad, Ajay Athavale, Masood Syed, Nasir Javid and Manaf Mohamed and the meeting ran from 12.15pm to 6.00pm to accommodate for all the major items on the agenda. Below are the key sets of actions, resolutions and agreements that were made at the meeting. A significant number of key items and issues were covered with the core focus being the need to reach organizational and statutory compliance levels for the forthcoming national and regional elections. Dates and a clear process that is compliant with the USACA constitution was laid out with unanimous approval from the board on each of the key resolutions. The hiring of independent auditor as well as independent auditors to supervise each of the regional board elections is a critical step forward in transparent governance at all levels. The following items are the key resolutions and actions the board agreed to. Regional resolutions - Central east region - the establishment of a special sub committee to investigate if correct constitutional process was followed to remove Mr. Akhtar Masood Syed as regional representative. Until the sub committee reports Mr. Akhtar Masood Syed remains as the regional representative. - For the North East Region the current suspension remains in force until the independent auditor’s and compliance reports are delivered, (see dates below). Board member resolutions - The suspension of Executive Secretary John Aaron was up-held for a period of six (6) months from the date the suspension was imposed by the President. This was a unanimous vote. - The appointment of Ahmed Jeddy as chair of the Cricket Committee to replace Krish Prasad. Messrs.’, Keith Gill, Manaf Mohamed and Ajay Athavale were also appointed to the Cricket Committee as members. Compliance resolutions - The unanimous re-appointment of PKF as the independent auditor and tax preparation for FY2011. This is a critical element of ICC compliance. - The President and Treasurer were authorized to sign and file the organization’s federal and state tax returns post the compliance review and by the November 15th deadline. - The unanimous appointment of Robert Chance, Esq. to conduct a Compliance Review of all USACA Leagues prior to the commencement of the regional and then the national organizations board. This is critical for ICC compliance - All Compliance Review response must be accompanied by a signed sworn affidavit by each Leagues’ President and Secretary assenting to Article III Section 9 of USACA Constitution Cricket Holdings America LLC (CHALLC) - Ratification of the important agreement between USACA, NZC, Top Bloom and On Site [sic] establishing Cricket Holdings America LLC (CHALLC). - Ratification of the appointment of the following persons as USACA representatives on the Board of CHALLC; Gladstone Dainty, John Thickett, Dr. Asif Ahmad and Ram Varadarajan. Regional and National Elections It is important for ICC compliance that the elections for regional boards and a new USACA board are completed, in the correct sequence before the end of December 2011. In order to deliver compliance to the constitutional process the USACA board will hire an independent auditor to supervise and be present during all of the regional board elections. All regions must hold elections following the compliance review to the schedule below. Specific election procedures for the regional boards are available inside the USACA constitution and must be complied to. This is available at www. USACA.org - Oct 24 Nominations open for the regional elections - Nov 8 Compliance report received and reviewed by USACA board - Nov 12 Leagues are informed of their compliance (USACA report) - Nov 19 All regional elections to have occurred - Nov 20 - 27 USACA National Board nomination process - Dec 3 Completed background checks on USACA nominees - Dec 19 Return of ballots from compliant leagues - Dec 21 Announcement of the USACA board results for the next board Contact Manaf Mohamed, General Manager, with questions. Posted Oct 24 2011, 03:58 AM with 6 comment(s) Filed under: USACA, Ram Varadarajan, Manaf Mohamed, Gladstone Dainty, Ahmed Jeddy, Krish Prasad, Ajay Athavale, Asif Ahmad, Keith Gill, USACA compliance review

• Wanderers wins Garden State T20 title

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket After missing out on the Garden State Cricket League 40 overs crown earlier this season, Wanderers Sports made amends when they captured the 2011 Division 1 T20 title. On a day when both semis and final were played back to back, Wanderers engaged Sayreville Gladiators In their semi-final at Eastside Park in Paterson, where Wanderers lost the toss and were asked to take first strike by Gladiators skipper Sri Garimella. At 29 for 3, Wanderers found themselves struggling to stay alive, but a 45-run partnership between Jason Nelson (36) and Chris Vassel (9), gave some life to the innings. The innings was capped off by another 43-run partnership between 17-year-old Rishi Patel and Nelson, who finished on 56, to give some respectability to the Wanderers total. For Gladiators, Rushi Amin finished with 2 wickets for 30 runs. Chasing a modest 125 for victory and a ticket to the final, Gladiators lost wickets at regular intervals due to some penetrative bowling from captain Damion Morgan, who took 2 for 15, Carl Wright with 2 for 26 and Damaine Sangster's 3 for 6. Gladiators were eventually bowled out for 94 in 18.1 overs. In the final against arch rival Eclipse Cricket Club, who had defeated G.W.I.A. in the other semi-final, Morgan won the toss and decided to take first strike. The game was reduced to 17 overs due to the late start and former USA representative Carl Wright was quickly into his stride, blazing his way to 56. Along with Chris Vassel's 18 and Jason Nelson's 14 not out, Wanderers posted a respectable 123. Needing 124 for victory, Eclipse were immediately rocked by a double strike from skipper Morgan in his very first over when he removed Eugene Hudson and Craig Oliver without scoring. A quick cameo from Ketan Patel and a quick fire 30 from Bryan Murphy did little to help the Eclipse cause, as they finished on 103. Morgan captured 3 for 8 and Sangster 3 for 34. Note: Both the Semi-Finals and Final were played the same day. Semi-final 1: G.W.I.A. vs. Eclipse (Game reduced to 12 overs per side) Eclipse 110 for 7 off 12 0vers - Craig Oliver 56, Neil McGarrell 2 for 15. G.W.I.A. 108 for 6 from 12 overs - Joseph Hartley 38, Sean Stanislaus 28. Semi-final 2: Wanderers Sports Club vs. Sayreville Gladiators Wanderers Sports Club 124 for 8 from 20 overs - Jason Nelson 54, Rushi Amin 2 for 30 Gladiators 94 all out from 18.1 overs - Anand Churi 29, Damion Morgan 2 for 15 and D Sangster 3 for 6. Final: Wanderers Sports Club vs. Eclipse (Game reduced to 17 overs per side) Wanderers Sports Club 123 for 4 in 17 overs; Carl Wright 56, Chris Vassel 18, Ketan Patel 1 for 15. Eclipse 103 all out in 17 overs; Bryan Murphy 30, Ketan Patel 18, Damion Morgan 3 for 8, Damaine Sangster 3 for 34. Wanderers Sports Club Emerged as Champions of the GSCL 2011 T20 Tournament. Posted Oct 23 2011, 06:02 AM with no comments Filed under: Carl Wright, Garden State Cricket League, Rushi Amin, Eclipse, Sean Stanislaus, Sayreville Gladiators, Wanderers

• USACA wins, women's cricket loses

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Peter Della Penna “In my opinion countries in this region do not have the depth to select 'B' squads to represent them at this level.” Those are the words of Martin Vieira, the ICC Americas Regional Development Manager in an email sent to the USACA brain trust last week. Unfortunately, his plea to USACA to sort out a dispute with the women’s squad has fallen on deaf ears. USACA has selected the final 14 players that will represent not just USA but the Associate arm of the Americas Region next month in Bangladesh at the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier. Missing from the list are half of the names that appeared in the original 18-player squad in July. For anyone who thought that USA’s on-field nadir for 2011 took place in Hong Kong when the men were bowled out by Papua New Guinea for 44 and eventually demoted to Division Four of the World Cricket League, think again. It appears that this year’s worst has been saved for last. Even by USA cricket standards, the buildup to the women’s squad’s departure for Bangladesh has been nothing short of bizarre. In fact, it would be more accurate to call it a tear down. The decision to axe Linden Fraser from his role as USA Women’s coach was only a harbinger of things to come. A protest led by most of his Tri-State Lynx players to achieve the dual task of getting their coach back into the Bangladesh touring party while getting themselves the same stipend that men’s players receive on tour has backfired in spectacular fashion. By leaving out Indomatie Goordial-John, Candacy Atkins, Monique Mathee, Karen Bayles, Shinead Emerson, Melissa Sandy, Triholder Marshall and Shondell Ward, USACA is not merely cutting off its nose to spite its face. The national body has initiated a head to toe exercise in self-mutilation. Image (right) - The Tri-State Lynx squad with coach Linden Fraser. Nine TSL players were in the preliminary USA squad for the 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, but only one remains. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket] In addition to winning its battle with many of the women’s players who dared to request equal pay for equal play, USACA has also succeeded by doing its best to scare away future investors and benefactors foolish enough to part with their hard-earned cash. John Warburg and The Apple Pickers Foundation donated $100,000 to USACA this summer, money that was earmarked for the women’s cricket program to help prepare the preliminary 18-player USA squad for the upcoming qualifier in Bangladesh. $63,000 of that money was spent to send 13 out of the 18 players to Barbados in August for a 10-day training camp. Eight out of the 13 players who went to that camp were omitted from the final 14 who will go to Bangladesh. A simple calculation shows that USACA wasted just under $39,000 on players who they now feel do not deserve to go to Bangladesh. For an organization that prides itself on fiscal irresponsibility, that is a staggering achievement. In addition to John Warburg, Andy Pick and Wendell Coppin must be absolutely thrilled to have donated their time so needlessly to the USACA cause. The two ICC Americas officers brought loads of experience and coaching acumen to the women’s team while working with them at the camp in Barbados. The majority of the women can now take those skill sets and philosophies they learned and apply them by sitting on their couches up and down the east coast instead of on cricket grounds around Dhaka. So much talk was made over the past year by women’s players and USACA administrators about how the ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier was USA’s best chance to make a splash on the world cricket stage. The team that’s now been selected has a better chance of drowning. [Views expressed in this article are those of the author.] Posted Oct 21 2011, 07:01 AM with 3 comment(s) Filed under: USACA, indomatie goordial-john, Monique Mathee, Linden Fraser, Candacy Atkins, Tri-State Lynx, 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, Bangladesh, The Apple Pickers Foundation, John Warburg

• USACA announces USA Women's squad for 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket USACA web site media release USACA announces its Women’s Team to participate ICC Women’s World Cup Global Qualifier to be held in Dhaka, Bangladesh from November 12 to 27, 2011. The Team will depart for Bangladesh on November 5. Doris Francis – Captain Akshatha Rao Anahita Arora Claudine Beckford Delkash Shahriarian Durga Das Erica Rendler Grace Chadderton-Richards Joan Serrano Nadia Gruny Ritu Bhargava Samantha Ramautar Sara Farooq Shebani Bhaskar Manager – Louise Browne-Jackson Coach – Robin Singh Asst. Coach – Asif Mujtaba Posted Oct 21 2011, 02:32 AM with 2 comment(s) Filed under: Robin Singh, Doris Francis, 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, Bangladesh, Asif Mutjaba, Louise Browne-Jackson

• Another opportunity missed for USA as the Netherlands enters 2012 Caribbean T20

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Peter Della Penna Along the news wire this morning were articles announcing that both Canada and the Netherlands were invited and accepted the opportunity to participate in January’s Caribbean T20 tournament to be held in Trinidad and Barbados. Another way to interpret the story is that two Associate members will be participating in the Caribbean T20 tournament but the USA is not one of them, despite belonging to the same ICC Region where the tournament is being conducted. This will be the third time Canada is participating in the tournament while it’s the first time for the Netherlands. USA was passed over for the July 2010 event In favor of Canada, which took place only a month and a half after USA had beaten Canada to claim the inaugural ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 championship in Bermuda. In the next Caribbean T20 which took place the following January, Canada was once again invited ahead of the USA. Last November, USACA President Gladstone Dainty was asked why Canada was getting these opportunities while the USA was not. “I speak with the President of the West Indies board very frequently and the CEO of the West Indies board, a great man,” said Dainty. “That thing with Canada and the T20 or whatever, once again we were preparing to go to Italy at the same time so it made the West Indies board easier, made the decision easier to invite Canada rather than the United States. At the time, we were contacted and we didn’t necessarily decline, but they knew that it would present a financial hardship because you gotta remember the players we have, they’ve got jobs.” The excuse for not getting involved in the tournament last January was that the dates conflicted with USA’s involvement in ICC World Cricket League Division Three, a perfectly legitimate excuse. What is the reason USA hasn’t gotten involved this time around? It’s doubtful that USA actually received an invite for next January’s event. Why would the West Indies want to sully the reputation of their tournament and lower the overall playing standard by inviting a team that was demoted to Division Four of the World Cricket League this year instead of inviting two teams that are in Division One and participated this year in the ICC World Cup? Not only did USA sink from Division Three to Division Four on the WCL ladder, they entered the most recent ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 as the defending champs on home soil but could only muster a second place finish to a second-string Canada side. Those less than desirable results are a byproduct of the absence of a clearly defined mission from USACA for USA’s teams and more importantly, a pathway toward achieving such a mission. When Canada participated in the first Caribbean T20, the squad they sent was far from a first choice unit, but they utilized the event as an opportunity to give some of their younger players valuable experience against good opposition. The experience players obtain in events like this and the Intercontinental Cup has gone a long way toward providing Canada a solid pool of players they can call on to fill in and perform without a dip in the overall quality of the team. This was clear from their dominance in Fort Lauderdale over the summer. KNCB (Netherlands Cricket Board) CEO Richard Cox said that, “Undoubtedly this is another significant move in our preparation for the international playing program,” in regard to the Netherlands getting a chance to participate in January’s Caribbean T20. What is USACA doing in preparation for its international program? They will be playing in the same ICC World T20 Qualifier in March that Canada and the Netherlands are in, but they will be doing it without the same level of preparation. Some people may argue that there is a plan in place for USA, one which consists of having local players improve their skills by participating alongside and against elite level international players in a New Zealand Cricket backed Twenty20 league that is planned to kickoff next summer. Money acquired from TV rights and sponsorships of the league will then help fund grassroots and infrastructure development to make USA national teams better. There is a problem with part of that plan though. USA’s players are currently incapable of competing in such a league without severely embarrassing themselves. Very few companies will be eager to sponsor a sports league where the source of entertainment winds up being unintentional slapstick comedy when the actual aim was to demonstrate athletic brilliance. At the tournament awards banquet for the ICC Americas Division One Twenty20 in July, Dainty got up in front of the six teams present and reminded everyone that USACA had big plans to start a Twenty20 league with the first match getting underway in the summer of 2012. According to Dainty’s calculations, there would be six teams with about 16 players on each roster. The intention was that half of them would be Test level standard players from overseas and the other half would potentially be Associate players from the Americas region. However, he bluntly stated that he did not feel there were anywhere near 48 players from the region capable of participating in the league without severely bringing down the standard of play and told those present that they needed to step up their games if they wanted to be a professional player with a contract in the league. So what is USACA doing for its own players to help bridge that gap? What has USACA done since July to help develop players to get them ready to play in this league? What opportunities is USACA creating for its national team to make people confident that they can not only make a serious run in Dubai to qualify for next year’s ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, but also reverse course in the World Cricket League to get USA going in the right direction back toward Division One? After winning the ICC Americas U-19 championship in February, USACA sat on their hands for months before throwing the USA U-19 team to the wolves against the West Indies U-19, setting the team up for disaster weeks later at the ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland. Do they have a similar plan in mind to prepare players for participation in a Twenty20 league? Play club cricket once a week on substandard fields against out of shape men in their 40s right before facing up against Daniel Vettori and Ross Taylor? How is a promising talent like Hammad Shahid supposed to do anything but come up short in a potential showdown with Brendon McCullum when he’s spending a good chunk of his time helping out at his family’s car dealership? These things never get addressed because USACA’s administrative tussles continue to get in the way. Instead of using their time to focus on preparing players for success and arranging opportunities for talent to improve, USACA administrators choose to squabble like a group of kindergartners moaning to their teacher because Jimmy won’t share his set of Legos for everyone else to play with. Fans do not show up at grounds to see administrators. They show up to see the players. USA’s players and fans do not strive to be embarrassed on the field, but it’s happened a few times in 2011 because of the kamikaze approach of the administration and it’s in danger of happening again with teams at every level, first and foremost with the way the women's team is being treated ahead of the ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier next month. There’s also the possibility that USA won’t even get the chance to do good or bad on the field next year if the ICC decides they’ve had enough of the board room shenanigans and lay down another suspension. Either way, USA will continue to go in the wrong direction until administrators put players first and develop a plan that gives teams a clearly defined vision with an achievable target to aim for. The Netherlands, Canada and so many other Associate countries appear to have that. There’s no reason the USA shouldn’t either. [Views expressed in this article are those of the author.] Posted Oct 20 2011, 04:38 AM with 2 comment(s) Filed under: canada cricket, USACA, USA U-19 cricket, Gladstone Dainty, Canada, 2011 ICC Americas Division One T20, Caribbean T20, the Netherlands

• Global search begins for CHALLC CEO & T20 League Commissioner

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket New Zealand Cricket Media Release on behalf of Cricket Holdings America LLC Cricket Holdings America LLC, a joint venture between New Zealand Cricket (NZC) and United States of America Cricket Association (USACA), has started a global search for a Chief Executive Officer and T20 League Commissioner. The appointed person would be responsible for the delivery of a business plan which, with the support of the Board, will include the negotiation of key commercial rights such as broadcast rights and the sale of T20 franchises. New Zealand Cricket CEO Justin Vaughan said the new position will help establish professional cricket in the USA and stressed it will take the skills of an experienced operator to maximise the potential of this “asset rich” company. “The creation of the position is an exciting step forward for the organisation and provides a unique opportunity for an experienced and highly motivated professional. “We are determined to identify the best possible candidate from around the world who can quickly get the organisational framework established and then deliver on our financial and strategic priorities.” When outlining his vision for the organisation, Vaughan spoke with excitement about the prospect of a new Twenty20 League across the USA. "One of the big ticket items for the new CEO/Commissioner will be to create the foundations for a national Twenty20 League and implement a franchising model for the competition. “It is an exciting time for Cricket Holdings America and the appointment of the inaugural CEO should progress our overall objective of developing cricket in the United States.” CHALLC Board Member and former first-class player, Neil Maxwell added: “Based out of the US and reporting to a corporate Board, the position will be linked to an attractive compensation package with significant incentives to attract prominent executives from key sporting and business roles.” “There is a level of excitement around the US market and this role provides an individual the opportunity to create a once-in-a-lifetime legacy of growing cricket in this receptive and hugely important market.” Representatives of the CHALLC Board will oversee the search with a full job description available in the careers section of the NZC website. http://www.blackcaps.co.nz/content/nzc/careers.aspx The appointment is expected to be made by the end of the year. Posted Oct 18 2011, 06:52 AM with 5 comment(s) Filed under: New Zealand cricket, T20 cricket, Neil Maxwell, Justin Vaughan, cricket holdings america

• Tropical bests defending champion Vibes to win 2011 Georgia Supreme Cricket League championship

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Conroy Reid Dean Morgan, with his club record breaking sixth ton of the season, and Tony Powell, with a “POW POW” like 87 not out, paired up for a dynamic 145-run third wicket partnership to lead Tropical Sports Club to an exciting 73 runs victory over defending champions Vibes Sports Club in the 2011 Georgia Supreme Cricket League championship game. With boundaries at seemingly the most demanding parts of his innings which lasted for 39 overs, Morgan paced himself with eight 4s and six 6s on the way to the record. This was his first season and it started with a huge 169 against Lawrenceville. Powell also had a boundary laced inning with ten 4s and two sixes to help Tropical amass a formidable 279 for 3, built on a 72-run opening start from Lindo and Morgan. Vibes, as expected, had a crack of a start in a reply spearheaded by Leon Garrick with a blistering 43, diced with eight 4s. But Wong, 2 for 35, and Slocombe, 3 for 42, kept pressing and Vibes succumbed for 206. The game took the form of something out of a well executed “war games movie” packed with action and high drama, yet able to keep the packed audience – spectators in this case - fully engrossed and quietly involved, but with moments of cheers and boos from the two camps. Vibes won the toss and chose to field. No mystery, no surprise. It was heavily overcast and a rather cold, gusty wind blew across the field. “ English weather” said players and spectators. “150 runs max on this kind of day” said the punters. Surely they were right when Edwards opened with two consecutive maidens with the ball seemingly “dangling in the breeze”. But the make-shift opening bowlers of Edwards and Roberts could not hold as Vibes was missing the seasoned pair of Dyer and Francois to injury. Soon Morgan was walking down the pitch to Edwards – stopping him in his trot twice - boos, then launching him deep over long-on, and pulling him through mid-wicket - cheers. Meanwhile, Lindo had dispatched Roberts to the backward square leg boundary a couple of times and the run rate quickly climbed to seven, spurring a quick change by skipper Mark Baker. This produced quick dividend as Parchment, bowling in place of Roberts, peppered Lindo with a series of short pitched deliveries including one that slammed into the helmet (boos & cheers), before inducing a false hook to mid off - cheers. R. Hoilett, who has struggled all season, batted at three and continue to struggle, and when on 16 chopped another Parchment short delivery onto his stumps. But the partnership was worth over 50 very valuable runs though the rate had slowed dramatically. Morgan had a let off as Parchment failed to hold a flat-batted smash right back at him, and he had another one later when Bartley also could not snatch a similar offering. By now the sun had peeped through a small opening in the clouds and the winds had slowed. Powell, who had received some harsh criticism for underperforming in the cup games took charge. He played the spinners – McFarlane and Bartley – with great care and picked and powered his shots with authority. A sizzling offdrive to the extra cover boundary between the sweeper and man at backward point bought cheers from all around. Two towering sixes added to the mix and the run rate motored back to seven. Morgan took a special liking to Smith who had come on for the wicketless McFarlane, and the score raced past 200 against the depleted Vibes attack that was also missing Odean Brown. Punters wrong … by far; soon the score eclipsed the 250 mark, and Morgan had a ton. His inning ended in the final over when for the third time he hit one back to the bowler; this time it was to Garrick, and he held on. Mother Nature did her best to ensure fairness in the weather conditions. The sun disappeared behind a thick mass of clouds and the winds picked up. Yet the Vibes response started in typical fashion. Two glorious inside out carvings through extra cover for boundaries, and Garrick was away in fine form. However, when on 43, he like Morgan had done, flat-batted a short pitched ball straight into the stomach of the bowler Wong who held on, and Tropical breathed a sigh of relief. The opening partnership ended at 59. Soon after, Smith stretched too far at a Slocombe off spinner that bounced and turned across him, and was smartly stumped down the leg side by Lindo. Bartley and Knight then began a consolidation and the required run rate began to creep up. The partnership soon reached 50 and a quiet hush engulfed both camps. The spectators angst was now about who would blink first in the now very evenly poised game. It was Vibes. With the score at 130, Bartley hit out at Slocombe and was caught in the deep at long on. One run later, Knight swung across one from Wong and was caught at mid-wicket. Then the most pivotal part of the Vibes innings happened. A horrendous mixup between Parchment and McFarlane for an improbable single led to Parchment’s run-out, and the quiet hush in Tropical’s camp erupted into wild celebrations. It was always acknowledged that to beat Vibes one had to get the wickets of Garrick and Parchment early and now both were gone. The celebrations got wilder two runs later – at 160 – when McFarlane popped a Williams delivery to Morgan for the sixth wicket. Dyer, still recovering from illness that kept him from bowling, launched four huge sixes to keep it interesting. But the task was now too tall. Sheriff Baker and his team were cornered. Later, a rendition of Bob Marley’s big hit echoed over the grounds, with the make over, “Tropical Shot The Sheriff”. Posted Oct 18 2011, 02:15 AM with no comments Filed under: Barrington Bartley, Georgia Supreme Cricket League, Leon Garrick, Vibes Sports Club, Dean Morgan, Tropical Sports Club

• USA Cricket: Rudy Persaud strengthens stance of no confidence in USACA leadership during conference call

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Peter Della Penna Momentum continued to build on Sunday night towards bringing about drastic changes to the way cricket is being governed in the United States as Eastern American Cricket Association (NY) President Rudy Persaud continued his campaign for a no confidence motion to be brought against USACA President Gladstone Dainty. Persaud was one of many USACA stakeholders present on a nationwide teleconference call to discuss recent events in US cricket. At least 30 people identified themselves as being present while on the call, which was organized by North West Regional director Hemant Buch and moderated by North West Regional secretary Susheel Kumar. In a letter first published on newyorkcricket.com last Tuesday, Persaud stated he had “no confidence in Mr. Dainty’s ability to lead USACA or represent my league to the ICC.” On Sunday night, he went a step further by recommending a no confidence motion should also be taken against interim USACA vice-presidents Rafey Syed and Michael Gale. “I think as league presidents, we should just vote no confidence in the USACA president right now and the two guys who he put there as first vice-president and second vice-president,” said Persaud. “We should do something about that. We’re looking toward these league presidents to work with us and see what we can do. I don’t think USACA is going anywhere.” Buch started off proceedings on the evening by issuing a challenge to all present to use the call to establish a clear vision for working together to bring about positive changes in US cricket. He also hoped that the call would set an example for stakeholders to get involved and be active in making decisions rather than sitting idly while waiting for things to happen. “I’m hoping that we will help energize and galvanize all the league presidents to demand right thing for the development of cricket from the administrative members that we have elected to run business of USACA,” said Buch. “This is our opportunity to redefine the fate of US cricket. People change, situations also change. The lesson we need to learn going forward is that we need to pick individuals with proven track record and someone who will tirelessly work to unify the board. This ‘Divide and rule’ policy has gone on way too long and has prevented us from working together. I call on you today to come up with swift action before next weekend’s USACA board meeting.” More than 10 league presidents spoke on the call, mainly from the Central East, North East and New York Regions. Lada Bedi was the only league president from the South East Region on the call while Nanda Kumar of the Houston Cricket League was the only league president on the call from the Central West. The Atlantic Region was the only region which did not have any confirmed representation of any kind on the call. Early in the call, Kumar read out a previously prepared statement from Persaud, advocating all league presidents to rally together for positive changes. “I would like to encourage my fellow league presidents to take a stand for the good of cricket as I am sure all of us would like to see the game grow in the USA and to be part of its growth,” read Kumar verbatim from Persaud’s statement. “However, we cannot do that by sitting on the sidelines allowing others to make a mockery of the game, our constitution and some of us. As league presidents, we have the power to decide who governs us and the right to remove those that fail to honor the commitment. The current president of USACA has failed us repeatedly, causing USACA to be suspended twice before. I’m sure you guys would not like to see us suspended again. Therefore, we have to take a stand and regain control of the management of cricket in the United States. Finally, I would like to encourage my fellow league presidents to speak up because if you don’t, you’re just as guilty as he who commits a crime against cricket and others we have elected to serve us.” A common theme throughout the evening was the league presidents speaking out against the suspension of John Aaron, who was present on the call. Almost all league presidents who spoke during the call lamented Aaron’s suspension as being unconstitutional and hoped that it would be overturned in the near future. Many also spoke about the need for Golam Sayeed to be recognized as the Central East Representative and Tony Gilkes as the North East Representative on the USACA board of directors. The issue of the results of the Atlantic Region election was not brought up until an hour and 17 minutes into the call by Aaron after all the league presidents present had already spoken. There was also a discussion about the status of the USACA election which was scheduled for October 15 but hasn’t taken place. Connecticut Cricket Association President Kevin Hussain urged Sayeed, Gilkes and Aaron to attend the USACA board meeting scheduled for this Saturday, October 22 in Florida. Hussain argued that by attending the meeting, the three men would be respecting the wishes of the USACA constituents who voted for them. All three men confirmed during the call that they plan on attending the board meeting in Florida. Perhaps the most impassioned plea for the league presidents to get on the same page came from Commonwealth Cricket League (NY) President Lesly Lowe. During his remarks, Lowe stated that USACA had been in decline for decades. Lowe blamed the current state of USACA on the league presidents, but said he believed the same league presidents hold the power to make changes and turn things around. “I’ve been involved in cricket for a long time,” said Lowe. “I was 14 years old when I started playing cricket in America. The Commonwealth Cricket League started out in 1980. USACA has always been a closed door society. USACA has always been a good old boys club. USACA has never had any transparency. USACA has had zero credibility, I mean zero credibility. Over the years, USACA has not gotten any better. It has gotten worse. In the early ‘70s we had a president of USACA. The president’s name was Nazir Khan. Nazir was based in Philadelphia. Nazir Khan was elected by four people. This organization was so opaque, you couldn’t see through it. This was worse than a smoke filled room.” “Now, this is 2011. We are living in the most democratic society, America. USACA is our national body and today if you look what’s happening in USACA, we see if you look back at the past it has gotten worse and worse and worse. Now, we are to blame. I’ll tell you who is to blame and if we do not fix this, we are going to carry this blame for a long time. This can be fixed tomorrow. This can be fixed by the league presidents. We are the guys fighting the battle. We are the guys in the trenches. We are the guys with the long boats, doing the hard work. Why should we sit back and let whatever is going on take place right now in USACA?” “So if we want to make things better, what we’re doing here tonight is the start hopefully of something good and the league presidents must take responsibility, 100% of responsibility because we need to do what’s best for US cricket. Right now, I would say we are maybe the laughing stock of the rest of the world and if you guys disagree with me it’s up to you but I don’t think you should disagree because countries have come from behind like Bangladesh, who once we were ahead of Bangladesh in many ways. Today, Bangladesh is playing Test cricket.” Bedi used his time to state that he is in favor of the compliance process. A recent poll showed that USACA fans and stakeholders are divided on the issue of whether or not voting eligibility should be tied to satisfactory completion of the compliance review process. “Regarding compliance, I am definitely in favor of this compliance because every time we have elections and after the elections we’ve heard that there is a lot of bogus leagues or bogus votes and we always complain for the next three years. So this is the best, the compliance to find which is legal, who can vote,” said Bedi, before joining the chorus calling for Aaron’s reinstatement. Southern Connecticut Cricket Association President and North East Regional director Leighton Greenidge announced a proposal for all league presidents to further discuss these issues in a face-to-face meeting next month. “Arrangements have been made to have a face-to-face meeting for every single league president that is interested in having a face-to-face meeting,” said Greenidge.” Arrangements have been made to pay for all of your expenses, including travel and hotel, to convene a meeting in the New York-New Jersey area.” Greenidge did not identify how the expenses would be covered. Before signing off, Buch and Kumar stated that there may be a follow-up meeting this week to solidify plans to present the concerns of stakeholders and constituents to the USACA board during this weekend’s board meeting in Florida. According to Buch, the amount of league presidents on Sunday night’s conference call outnumbered those in attendance at the last USACA Annual General Meeting in Dallas in April of 2010. Posted Oct 17 2011, 05:47 AM with 1 comment(s) Filed under: John Aaron, Hemant Buch, Gladstone Dainty, Golam Sayeed, Lada Bedi, Rudy Persaud, Susheel Kumar, Tony Gilkes

• USA Cricket: Poll shows stakeholders want Aaron reinstated but are divided on compliance review

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Peter Della Penna The results of an independent survey to gather opinions on recent events in US cricket demonstrate an overwhelming number of respondents (90.8%) are in favor of the immediate reinstatement of USACA Secretary John Aaron. The survey also revealed a near unanimous call (96.7%) for USACA to recognize Golam Sayeed as the Central East Region’s representative on the USACA board and for USACA to publish the results of the Atlantic Region election which took place in July. However, respondents were split virtually straight down the middle on the issue of the compliance review. Just over half (50.8%) of those who responded to a question asking, “Should voting eligibility for USACA’s forthcoming election depend on completion of review process?” responded with a yes, saying that only those leagues that have satisfactorily completed all aspects of the compliance process should be allowed to vote. The survey also asked respondents to identify if they were an administrator of a member league. Among those in the survey pool who acknowledged being a league administrator, just 14% said they were in favor of voting eligibility dependent upon completion of the compliance review. Image (right) - Stakeholders want USACA Secretary John Aaron (pictured at the 2011 USACA Women's Tournament) reinstated after a controversial suspension by Gladstone Dainty last month. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket] On the question of whether or not survey takers felt that the ICC should step in to sort out USACA’s problems, 75% said they are in favor of the ICC getting involved rather than USACA resolving things internally. Among those who acknowledged being a league administrator, only 28.5% said they felt that USACA should resolve its own issues internally and respect the wishes of those chosen to represent the leagues rather than let the ICC get involved. Survey results to essential questions below. 1. USACA President Gladstone Dainty recently announced that "after consultation with many of the USACA board members," he was suspending USACA’s Secretary John Aaron "immediately and indefinitely." How familiar are you with the circumstances surrounding the issue? 53.2% Very familiar 28.6% Somewhat familiar 18.3% Not familiar 2. Do you believe President Dainty has the constitutional authority to suspend a board member without approval from a majority of the board members? 2.4% Yes. Mr. Dainty can do what he wants. 85.7% No. Only the USACA board can suspend a member. 11.9% Other. 3. Do you want the USACA board to overturn Mr. Dainty's decision to suspend Mr. Aaron and reinvite Mr. Aaron back to the USACA board? 90.8% Yes, the USACA board should invite Mr. Aaron back immediately. 4.2% No, Mr. Dainty was right in suspending Mr. Aaron and the USACA board should approve the decision of Mr. Dainty. 5.0% USACA board should invite Mr. Aaron back but on certain conditions. 4. USACA recently hired an independent auditor to run a compliance review process for all member leagues. Should voting eligibility for USACA's forthcoming election depend on completion of review process? 50.8% Yes. Only those leagues that have satisfactorily completed all aspects of the compliance process should be allowed to vote. 49.2% No. The compliance process should be independent of the election process. 5. Do you feel that ICC should get involved in USACA matters or should USACA resolve its own issues internally? 25.0% USACA should resolve its own issues internally and respect the wishes of those chosen to represent the leagues. 75% I do not believe that USACA can resolve all of its internal issues. The ICC should get involved. 6. USACA recently conducted regional elections in Central East and Atlantic Region. However, USACA has not yet recognized Mr. Golam Sayeed who was elected the Regional Representative of Central East. Also, USACA President blocked the announcement of results in Atlantic Region after the election was completed and the votes were tallied. How do you feel about these decisions? 96.7% USACA should immediately recognize Mr. Golam Sayeed as the Central East Representative AND USACA should publish the results of the Atlantic Region election. 3.3% Mr. Dainty was right in blocking Atlantic Region’s results. Also, USACA is right in not recognizing Mr. Golam Sayeed as Central East’s representative. Posted Oct 14 2011, 09:42 PM with 2 comment(s) Filed under: USACA, John Aaron, USA cricket, Gladstone Dainty, Atlantic Region, Golam Sayeed, USACA Constitution

• NYR Chairman Lester Hooper writes letter to league presidents urging them to 'unite for one common goal'

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket The following is a letter titled, "Time for us to unite for one common goal" addressed to USACA league presidents and administrators. It was written by New York Regional Chairman Lester Hooper at 1:16 p.m. on Tuesday, October 11 and obtained from a source. Regional Directors And League Presidents, Let me be clear about this. Gladstone Dainty will always be Gladstone Dainty. As much as it is always healthy to express your views via emails, articles, etc., none of said actions will change the thought process and actions of Gladstone Dainty. We can all sit here and throw the blame at his door step but after awhile we as cricket administrators and stakeholders will eventually have to take the blame for allowing this circus to go on. We are all so caught up with how many players from our respective region make the US team or whether or not the coach and manager is from our region than we neglect the most important thing that makes it all worthwhile, cricket. Folks I like many of you came from a background where the game of cricket took precedence. The thick politics, nepotism and favoritism had no place. As of a few weeks ago, the USA women's team was preparing to enter their final camp before going off to Bangladesh. As of this morning, the coach Linden Fraser was removed and replaced by the expensive Mumbai coach Robin Singh and the team manger is in the process of making calls to members of the team informing them that they are being replaced in the US squad. Why? Because coach Fraser inquired about the $100,000.00 that was given to USACA to prepare the ladies for Bangladesh and the ladies voiced their 1st amendment right in objecting to the stipend they were offered to tour Bangladesh, respectively. It really saddens me that USACA does not have money to prepare our national team and run our national tournaments but have the necessary funds to pay a coach a minimum of $10,000 for a week or two. Once again I ask the question, when the tour is over what happens to the women? Folks this is the second time for the year that USACA is paying a coach thousands of dollars just to chaperone a US squad without any help to their long term development. No disrespect to coach Robin Singh whom I respect greatly but as a professional I'm sure he knows that there is only so much you can do coming in a day or two before a tournament and not knowing the players. The same case can be made for our U19 who just came back from Ireland recently. Will Robin be doing any work with them in the near future? Will Robin be instructing our local coaches? Will he be conducting open sessions in the various regions? The only time I hear the name Robin Singh is just before a US team goes on tour. Folks this is unacceptable. Let's pay Robin his worth but let him earn that money by aiding in the development of US cricket. On the other hand, the ladies in training to represent the USA in Bangladesh are now being informed that they are being replaced by a second string team. We as regional directors and league presidents need to stand up and say enough is enough. My guess is that some of you regional directors will allow players from your region to participate in this second string team which will once again facilitate the actions of President Dainty. Why? So that you can stand up and say several players from my region made the US team. What you fail to realize is that the ICC is currently monitoring the situation and they are asking the same question that many of us are asking. Why are the league presidents allowing this to happen? They are the ones who have all the power. Yet, they sit idly by as President Dainty continues to drive USACA towards another suspension. Who are we going to blame this time? Dainty? No, all of us will be held equally accountable this time around. The person that witnesses a rape and fails to report it is just as guilty as the perpetrator. Yet, you will all sit by as the second string USA team is made to be the biggest joke at the World Cup Qualifiers. I urge the regional directors and league presidents not to facilitate the actions of President Dainty. Send a message to him that we will all hold one front in the defence of cricket in the USA and the USACA organization . If not, I promise you that individuals outside of the US will make the decision for you. Those of you in alliance with President Dainty, I can only wish that you would do your duties in the interest of USACA and the many cricketers, administrators and stakeholders who are currently doing their part to help USACA reach better and greater heights. We cannot continue to have a dysfunctional board and expect to be taken seriously by the cricket community. Many within the US have voiced their opinions on President Dainty's unconstitutional actions over the past few months. Yet, you in alliance have remained quiet. Do you agree with his actions or are you afraid to voice your true opinion? I personally do not have an axe to grind with the President but folks once again, enough is enough. I am not one to get involve in USACA politics but folks how do you sit by as the game that you love is being destroyed on a national level and by extension a regional level. This is not about John Aaron or Linden Fraser, the several women from New York who are currently being treated unfairly or any particular region. Today its these folks tomorrow its someone from your region. We need to be more united than in the past. Cricket in this country can grow into something we can all be proud of; however, if we continue to go down this path, we can all share the same disastrous fate. Folks lets wake up and do the right thing. President Dainty's unilateral decisions will eventually cost us a price that we cannot afford. Whether it is another suspension or someone like the Don Lockerbie winning a multi million law suit against USACA. Folks, call an emergency meeting and lets get USACA back on track. Regards, Lester Hooper Director NYCR Posted Oct 11 2011, 03:13 PM with no comments Filed under: John Aaron, Gladstone Dainty, Linden Fraser, Lester Hooper, 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, Bangladesh

• NYR Chairman Lester Hooper writes open letter to Dainty regarding Aaron suspension

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket The following is an open letter to USACA President Gladstone Dainty written by New York Regional Chairman Lester Hooper at 10:05 a.m. on Tuesday, October 11. Dear President Dainty, Let me first start out by stating that this letter is long overdue. Mr. President it gives me no pleasure in writing this letter in response to your email you sent out a few weeks ago, RE: SUSPENSION OF USACA SECRETARY MR. JOHN AARON. It is with this displeasure and disappointment that I strongly voice my objection to said suspension. You recently attended a meeting in New York where the objective was for you to shed some light on the current state of USACA. Said meeting was attended by the NYCR league presidents and several stakeholders. This meeting was by no means set up to attack you or insult you but to basically give you the opportunity to tell us the truth about that state of USACA. Unfortunately, after that meeting many of us came away with more questions than answers. Based on information coming out of that meeting, Mr. John Aaron wrote an extremely accurate article which highlighted the high and low points of the meeting. Given the fact that two (2) of USACA board members were also in attendance in Mr. Krish Prasad (NYCR Representative to USACA) and Mr. John Aaron (Secretary of USACA), several valid questions were raised by same. At no time were those questions deemed damaging to USACA or any of its board members. The questions put forth were questions that everyone in that room and the entire country were searching to find an answer to. It is for those questions asked and Mr. Aaron’s article that you stated in your letter that Mr. Aaron made statements damaging to USACA. Mr. President, I hate to be the one to point out the obvious but USACA is currently damaged and has been for quite sometime. Suspending Mr. Aaron at such a critical time instead of addressing the questions raised by him can only be seen as retaliation for raising those questions and shedding light on important issues in accordance with his duties as Secretary of USACA. Mr. Aaron answered all the questions put forth by those in attendance without addressing USACA‘s sensitive and top secret issues; something that was expected of you Mr. President. Since his suspension, Mr. Aaron has remained optimistic that USACA will get back on track and has publicly stated that with the help of the board members, he intends to do whatever is needed to get USACA back on the right tract. Mr. President I am not a politician. What I am is a cricket lover since the age of five. I am still naive to believe that cricket lovers like myself in the USA are able to set aside politics, favoritism, nepotism and all the other elements that have no place in cricket. In order for us to move forward, you as our current president need to acknowledge when his actions are incorrect, as in this case. It is my sincere hope that you would see fit to reverse your decision, which to the best of my knowledge was made without the input from the full USACA board, and immediately lift the suspension on Mr. John Aaron. Best Regards, Lester Hooper Director NYCR Posted Oct 11 2011, 02:50 PM with 1 comment(s) Filed under: John Aaron, Gladstone Dainty, Krish Prasad, Lester Hooper

• USA Cricket: Robin Singh to coach USA Women in Bangladesh

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Peter Della Penna An email written today by USACA General Manager Manaf Mohamed states the Robin Singh has been named coach of the USA Women’s team for the 2011 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier next month in Bangladesh. The email was obtained from a source. It was written to the USACA board and a host of women’s players. As recently as five days ago, Mohamed said that Linden Fraser was going to be coaching the USA Women’s team in Bangladesh. During an October 5 phone call, Mohamed was asked who would be running the USA Women’s camp scheduled for October 14-16 and responded, “That would be the coach, Linden Fraser. He’s the coach.” When asked if Fraser would be the coach for the team in Bangladesh, Mohamed responded, “As of right now yes, he’ll be the coach for Bangladesh.” Image (right) - Robin Singh will be coaching the USA Women's team in Bangladesh. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket.com] Fraser went to Barbados with the USA Women’s squad in August to serve as coach during their 10-day training camp. He is also the coach of the highly successful Tri-State Lynx team which won this year’s USACA national championship. More than half of the 18-player USA squad plays for the Lynx while several other USA players are known to train with the Lynx. Fraser had been working with most of these women on a weekly basis since January by conducting conditioning and coaching sessions. Fraser is an ECB Level II Certified coach. “I have nothing to do with that,” said Krish Prasad, chairman of the USACA Cricket Committee, of the decision to have Robin Singh be the women’s team coach in Bangladesh. Prasad says that up until he received today’s email, he fully believed that Fraser was the women’s team coach and would be going to Bangladesh. “I heard it when the team got the email. I was very surprised to hear that. Nobody I know was involved with that.” A call to Fraser’s phone late Monday afternoon went straight to voice mail while a call to Mohamed seeking comment also went to voice mail. Prasad went on to say that as far as he knows, there have not been any plans made to fly the women’s squad to Florida this weekend for a final camp to be used for selection and without Fraser being involved, he doesn’t know how USACA will be able to pick the best 14 players to go to Bangladesh. “Robin Singh doesn’t know who these women are,” said Prasad. Singh served as head coach of the USA U-19 team in Ireland at the 2011 ICC U-19 World Cup Qualifier where they finished a disappointing seventh, failing to qualify for the 2012 ICC U-19 World Cup. He currently serves as the head coach of the IPL’s Mumbai Indians, who won the 2011 Champions League T20 on Sunday. Posted Oct 10 2011, 04:02 PM with 3 comment(s) Filed under: USA women's cricket, Linden Fraser, Robin Singh, Krish Prasad, 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, Bangladesh

• USA Cricket: Majority of USA Women's squad writes USACA to protest inadequate stipend for World Cup Qualifier

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Peter Della Penna Another dark cloud is casting a shadow over USACA this week as 13 players from the preliminary squad of 18 for the 2011 ICC Women’s World Cup Qualifier next month in Bangladesh have written an email to protest what they feel is unfair treatment over their proposed tour stipend for Bangladesh. The major issue outlined in an October 5 email written to the USACA board and obtained from a source is that men’s players receive as much as $175 per day as a tour stipend while the women are only being offered $100 per day for their time in Bangladesh. If the players do not agree to the $100 per day figure, their final camp scheduled for October 14-16 is in danger of being canceled. USACA is also threatening to replace the women with other players if they do not comply. Among the names who have signed the email are leading players Candacy Atkins, Joan Alexander and 2011 USACA Women’s Tournament MVP Doris Francis as well as the only two American-born players in the squad, Erica Rendler and Shebani Bhaskar. There are 15 women in total who signed their names to the email, 13 in the original 18-player list announced by USACA in July and two other women who were not: Delkash Shahriarian and Geetha Reddy. The only big name who did not sign the email is Indomatie Goordial-John. Image (right) - Doris Francis is one of 15 players unhappy with the amount of financial support being given to the USA Women's team. [Courtesy: Peter Della Penna/DreamCricket] “Fifteen of the 18 USA Women players would like to bring to your attention the unjust and inadequate stipend of $100 per diem being offered to each player for the upcoming Bangladesh Tour and subsequently the threat of not having the final training camp,” the email begins. “For last July's tour to Canada, we were given roughly 30% more to play Canada in the 3-match series, in which we defeated Canada 3-0 to win our spot in the Women's Cricket World Cup Qualifier and represent the ICC Americas. We were also given a promise of a bonus which has yet to be fulfilled.” “Now, we are one tournament away from the Women's Cricket World Cup; and we are being offered less. We will be playing alongside top-ranked nations such as South Africa, West Indies, Pakistan, Sri Lanka etc. With all due respect, we are thrilled at representing the USA at this prestigious tournament and looking forward to achieving the goal of going to India; but we are feeling very much under-appreciated, disrespected, and simply disregarded for the achievements we have made thus far in our short history and underestimated, for what we can accomplish in Bangladesh.” “Why isn't the 3-category compensation system used by the men being employed for the women?” the women’s email continues. “We do recognize that sports administrators world-wide have not caught up fully with equal pay for female and male athletes but: is a 43% ($175 for men) disparity between our stipends adequate given that our stipends are not driven by ticket sales? Is it adequate given that the men played division 3 (and now division 4) cricket and the women are playing for a World Cup spot yet the men still receive $175? Is it adequate given that we received more to play an ICC Americas competition in our backyard against a single team, three times?” According to USACA Cricket Committee Chairman Krish Prasad, men’s national team players receive a stipend based on a three-tier system. Players who are playing in their first tournament for USA get $105 per day. Players who have previous senior team experience get $135 per day and players who have played in 75% of the senior team matches over a designated time period prior to the tournament for which they are being selected get $150 per day. However, at least one source claims that the three-tier payment structure was $125, $150 and $175. The last figure is what women’s players quoted as a comparative figure in their email. Men’s players also received a separate fee of anywhere between $100-200 extra to cover incidental expenses related to travel such as airline baggage fees for transporting cricket kit. As part of an October 5 email in response to the women, USACA General Manager Manaf Mohamed claims that the $100 per day stipend was calculated in part based on the projected daily costs for expenses in Bangladesh and says that there is not enough historical evidence to grade women’s players according to a three-tier system like the men are. “All players are being offered the same stipend as there is not enough of a history on USA Women's International cricket to grade players in terms of team seniority,” wrote Mohamed. “The stipend also took into consideration availability of funds and resonable [sic] expenses one may expect in Bangladesh.” Prasad says that the men’s players received the same payment regardless of how expensive daily costs were in a touring destination, i.e. players on a tour of Nepal received the same per-day stipend rate as players on a tour of Bermuda, relative to their respective tier. He feels that the women are not being treated fairly and says that he has no idea who proposed the figure of $100 per day for the women since he’s been kept out of recent discussions pertaining to cricket related matters even though he is the chairman of the Cricket Committee. “I think the women should be treated the same way as the men because they also have commitments and expenses and we should treat them the same way,” said Prasad on Sunday. “We never take advantage of the exchange rate or the cost of living per se. We were always dealing with a limited amount of resources but we’re always trying to do the best for the players.” Prasad says that the 10-day women’s camp to Barbados in August cost roughly $63,000 meaning there should be $37,000 left from the $100,000 Apple Pickers Foundation grant earmarked for women’s cricket. Prasad says the remaining money should have been enough to hold a camp next weekend in Florida and also cover expenses for the first week in Bangladesh prior to the start of the qualifier. USA is due to leave for Bangladesh on November 5 with their first match taking place against South Africa on November 15. Mohamed wrote though that he would not make arrangements for this weekend’s camp, including buying plane tickets, for any of the players in the squad until they agreed to the $100 per day stipend for Bangladesh. The longer the players hold out, the more expensive plane tickets will become. USACA must submit a final 14-player list for the qualifier to the ICC by October 15th and this weekend’s camp was intended as a final selection trial. If the stalemate between the players and USACA continues, the camp will most likely be canceled and alternate second-string players would be found to go to Bangladesh. “USACA has an obligation and committment [sic] to participate in the ICC tournament, and if need be, will explore alternative arrangements to meet and honor its commitment,” wrote Mohamed. “Hopefully, that will not be necessary.” The women hope they will find support in the matter but time may be running out. “Gentlemen, if you, the leaders and voices of men's, women's, and youth cricket of this country, do not believe in us; do not value our contributions and sacrifices being made to be successful,” wrote the women, “why should we play to win? As you know, females in the USA do not have established leagues but some of us play in men's leagues to meet that shortcoming. Some guys have the luxury of playing for various clubs across the country by virtue of clubs paying their expenses while some of us females pay out of pocket to travel cross-country to play matches and sometimes just to practice. Some of us are so committed to this cause and representing this country that we pay out of pocket for gym memberships, indoor cricket facilities rental, drive hundreds of miles to practice - expenses that we otherwise would not undertake. We do not expect to get reimbursement for these expenses though any national program would cover such; but we do expect that we have your 100% support when we step out of this country, wearing the USACA logo.” The 15 women who have signed their name to the email protesting inadequate stipend payments for the tour to Bangladesh for the 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier: Candacy Atkins Joan Alexander Doris Francis Nadia Gruny Triholder Marshall Shondell Ward Monique Mathee Erica Rendler Shebani Bhaskar Melissa Sandy Karen Bayles Samantha Ramautar Anahita Arora Delkash Shahriarian Geetha Reddy Posted Oct 09 2011, 06:41 PM with no comments Filed under: USA women's cricket, USA cricket, indomatie goordial-john, Doris Francis, Candacy Atkins, Joan Alexander, 2011 ICC Women's World Cup Qualifier, Shebani Bhaskar, Erica Rendler

• Five Secrets to Successfully Working With Americans At Cricket

  Now, you can get all the USA Cricket updates via Facebook.   Also follow us on Twitter via @dreamcricket By Tom Melville 1. When In Rome... When people who grew up in cricket playing countries ask me what they have to do to get Americans interested in cricket the first thing I say to them is, “Renounce the cricket you grew up with. Renounce it!” This almost always brings the conversation to an abrupt end I become a persona non grata. But this is an absolutely essential first step for any ex-pat who wants to work with Americans. Cricket will never succeed in this country as transplanted Indian, West Indian, Pakistani or any other form of cricket. It can only be built from the ground up rooted squarely in the traditions and customs Americans know from their own bat and ball sports. So take down that picture of Tendulkar from your wall, replace it with one of John B. King, and totally dedicate yourself to only looking at this game through the eyes of an American. 2. Gentlemen Need Not Apply The first mistake most people usually make when trying to get Americans interested in cricket is to launch into a long-winded lecture on cricket as the preeminent “gentleman’s game.” True as this may be Americans just don’t want a catechism lesson with their sports. They want fun and emotional release. Does anyone really think Americans are going to play a game where they can never criticize the umpire? Never argue a bum call? Making this a prerequisite for playing cricket will only put you in the hole right from the start. If you mean by “gentleman’s game” good sportsmanship that’s fine. But Americans assume this with all their sports. Cricket has no monopoly on it. Continually fulminating on cricket as the “gentleman’s game” just reinforces the game’s stereotype as a stuffy, elitist, sport. Image - Tom Melville (left) during a demonstration teaching high school kids about cricket. 3. Can The Kwik Cricket When Kiwk Cricket first came out I thought it was a great innovation. But now I think it’s a detriment to promoting the game to Americans. Why? Because it leaves Americans with the impression that cricket’s just a game for kids. You tell Americans they’re going to play cricket and then out comes…little plastic bats and stumps! Kwik Cricket is basically the wiffle ball of cricket and Americans only equate wiffle ball with kids. When I work with Americans I only use regulation equipment. Size 2/3 Kashmir bats work fine for elementary school kids, size 5-6 with junior high kids, and wooden stumps. If indoors I use spring return stumps. For a ball I use the 11” Easton Incrediball or other training softball which is also much easier to hit than the little Kwik Cricket ball. So mothball the Kwik Cricket sets and give the game the respect it deserves. 44. Play Up Cricket’s Strengths, Downplay Its Weaknesses No game magnifies success and failure more than cricket. Can score more runs in one time at bat in cricket than you can in two dozen baseball games. Nothing better in sports. Can also get out first ball and never bat again in the game. Nothing worse in sports. To make cricket appealing to Americans these extremes have to be smoothed out and you do this by making it easier to score runs and harder to take wickets. Bowl underarm and use a training softball. That way just about anyone can bat like a Kevin Pietersen right from the get go. Stage manage the game so no-one’s out first ball. Bowled first ball? “Batter wasn’t ready. Take it over.” Caught first ball? “Bowler was over the line. Take it over.” You don’t have to take wickets to have fun bowling. Just bowling itself is fun. But if you keep getting out first or second ball you’re going to go away saying to yourself “cricket sucks!” 5. Limited Strike: The Only Way To Go Sports historians and sociologists have convincingly shown that all American sports are characterized by a rapid transition between offense and defense. This is what appeals to Americans in all their sports. It’s also a major obstacle in attracting Americans to cricket since each team bats through their entire order without interruption. Many modifications have been tried to “shorten” cricket but they all have their drawbacks. Limited overs? The top order batters use up all the batting time. Time limitation for each batter? Fielders will stall when the good batters are up. Retire the batters after they’ve scored a pre-determined number of runs? Good batters will knock off their runs quick time; weak batters may take all day to make theirs. Instead, I play limited strike cricket with each batter restricted to a maximum number of deliveries (not hits or swings, just deliveries). If the batter is not out after they’ve received the maximum allowed they must retire. It’s been by far the most successful modification I’ve ever used since it makes it possible to organize an enjoyable game no matter how many participants you have or how much time. Got a large group and little time? Limit each batter to 3- 4 deliveries. Got smaller groups with more time? Give each batter 5-6 deliveries. Got more time? Give each batter 7-8 or 9-10 deliveries. By retiring after his maximum allowable deliveries the batter, is, in effect, “out”. This incorporates the appealing element of “ebb and flow” Americans are used to in their sports since fielders no longer have to endure long, monotonous, spells of someone batting on and on. [Opinions expressed here are those of the author.  Tom Melville is a member of the rare species of American-born cricketers and a historian and researcher. He is the author of The Tented Field: A History of Cricket in America (Bowling Green State University Press) and Early Baseball and the Rise of the National League (McFarland & Company).] Posted Oct 07 2011, 05:10 AM with 3 comment(s) Filed under: America cricket, Tom Melville, John Barton King, Sachin Tendulkar