KINGSTON – Joel Garner’s bid to become West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president has suffered a blow.
The decision by the board of directors of the Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA) to support Garner and not Jamaican Whycliffe “Dave” Cameron has been overturned.
The directive was changed via a conscience vote of 67 to 22 by members of the JCA during its annual general meeting at the Jamaica Pegasus hotel on Tuesday.
The vote follows an original draft resolution proposing that the overturn was not carried due to it not satisfying the association’s constitution.
The constitution states that for a resolution to be passed, it must first be tabled at least 21 days in advance of the annual general meeting.
The resolution, led by St James Cricket Association president Cecil Fletcher, was submitted nine days short of the requirement.
“The resolution was not taken, as it did not meet the legal requirements. However, given the nature of the situation, we took the decision to put the issue to the general membership,” said JCA president Billy Heaven.
“They then voted in support of the overturn, and we the leadership of the association will abide.”
The JCA directors had voted 10-6 on February 3 not to support businessman Cameron, preferring instead to back Garner, a former West Indies fast bowler.
Meanwhile, the proposed vote of no confidence against Heaven, which was also earmarked for the AGM, did not materialise, also because it did not meet constitutional requirements.
The JCA’s decision to change their vote in favour of Cameron now puts an interesting spin on the WICB presidential race, with the Jamaican now seemingly holding the advantage.
Cameron was nominated by the Leeward Islands Cricket Association (LICA) and the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB), while his vice-presidential running mate, incumbent Emmanuel Nathan, is president of the Windward Islands Cricket Board of Control, which has stated its intention to vote for Cameron.
Garner was nominated by the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA), of which he is president, and the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), of which his vice-presidential partner, is a director.
The annual general meeting and election of officers of the WICB is set to take place on March 7 in Jamaica. (Jamaica Gleaner)