Dainty, A Molehill Not A Mountain

By Sam Sooppersaud
Let me preface this article with some rather disappointing USACA’s (un)accomplishments.

Dainty incommunicado.
USACA President Gladstone Dainty has so far refused to furnish (public) information requested by Dr. Sham Samaroo (Ondrive) in a letter written to the head of USACA nearly two weeks ago.

USACA president Gladstone Dainty.

West Coast representative tossed from USACA Board by Dainty.
In a teleconference held by the Executive Board of USACA Dainty had this to say to the WC representative:  “Susheel, you are an intruder on this call, please log off.” With that dismissive statement Dainty refused to honor the wishes of the West Coast region to have Susheel Kumar represent that region on the USACA board’s teleconference call.

Dainty violated (once more) the Constitution of USACA.
He makes his own policies as he goes along. Reimbursed director(s) for overseas travel expenditure not authorized by the full board.  Refused to honor the suspension of a director by a region (WC)

USACA 1st Vice President Nabeel Ahmed resigned from Board.
In a show of disgust and disenchantment at USACA (Dainty’s) action, VP Nabeel Ahmed has decided that he can no longer be part of a body that is dysfunctional.

USACA Board of Directors divided.
In a telephone call to Dr. Sham Samaroo (Ondrive) Ahmed Jeddy, the representative on the Board of Directors of USACA from the Central West region expressed his view that the USACA board is badly divided.

Directors leaking board information to the public! What!
Some members of the Board are accusing others of leaking information of the board’s activities to the public.  Well, I get news for those doing the complaining. USACA’s constitution obligates that body to furnish information on their doings to the regions. It is evident that vital information is being kept secret from the regions and when the well-meaning directors pass that information on, they are being accused of being traitors.

National Junior (Under-19) Championship Tournament cancelled.
The reason, there is no money to stage the tournament. Yet there is money to reimburse directors who traveled to Dubai to watch the games, expenses which were not at anytime sanctioned by the executive board.

Well … I can go on and on writing a litany of USACA’s dysfunctionalism, but why bore you, my readers with information that you are already aware of.

With all the distractions mentioned above, how then can we be able to move forward? Recently our senior team did exceedingly well in ICC tournaments. We should be sailing on “cloud nine’ at this time, but instead we are dealing with another episode in the saga   “USACA Screws Up Again.”  In a way, we can say that USACA is at least consistent with what it does. It is consistently making one bad decision after another.

We all would like to see a concentration on the youths. The Under-15 and especially the Under-19. They are our cricket stars of tomorrow. But what do we see coming from this Board. The latest blunder is the cancellation of the 2010 National Junior Championship (Under-19) which was originally scheduled for November 12-14, in Florida.  The reason given is that there are no funds available to stage this tournament. But, there were funds to reimburse a few (favorite) board members who traveled to Dubai and Nepal to watch the games. These persons were not part of the selected touring party. Dainty Okayed these reimbursements.  Guess you wash my hands and I’ll wash yours!

It seems that Dainty is always being blamed for the wrongdoings of USACA. I must confess that I am also guilty of heaping blame solely on him. By doing so we are alluding to a misguided belief that Dainty has absolute power over the Board. According to an East Coast Director who called me, “some Board members are intimidated by Dainty.”  Folks he is just one member of the Board. He is not ‘the straw that stirs the drink,’ to quote Reggie Jackson, former NY Yankee slugger.

Dainty is so misguided by his “dreams of grandeur,’ that he feels “power drunk”. He has the &*%$#@lls  now to dictate to the West region who its Board representative should (or should not) be. What audacity.

As one director informed Ondriveupdate, that there are twelve members on the USACA board, why is it that everyone keeps blaming Dainty, solely?  It is apparent that the majority of the Board condescends to Dainty. He gets his way. He then construes this as absolute power.

I would hope that all this bickering would cease. It is my earnest wish that we all spend our energy on the cause of improving cricket. Let us shape our code of conduct consistent with the rules that govern. Let us begin with the USACA Board. The Constitution of the United States of America Cricket Association is our “bible” for the governance of the organization. Let us all follow its dictates. If we are not familiar with what it says, then let us get down to some serious reading.

Very soon I will follow up with the second part of this article. What’s your opinion? I would like to know! Your opinion is yours. You do not have to agree with mine.

Contact me at 718-844-7236 or  e-mail:  [email protected]

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