BCL official quits

Dissatisfied with the way the Barbados Cricket League (BCL) has been managed in recent times, general secretary Carl Chapman has quit with immediate effect.

BCL president Glyn St Hill, however, has responded by saying Chapman's performance in the job could have been better.

Chapman, an experienced cricketer and a former BCL Division 1 captain, submitted a resignation letter to St Hill last Friday.

In the letter, he stated that recent events led him to believe that the board of management made decisions without any ideological or philosophical concepts.

"It is my belief that members, void of independent thought, also make decisions based not so much on the issue but moreso on the person putting forward the issue," Chapman said.

This is quite sad, as their opinion on the same matter can fluctuate from side to side and time to time, dependent on the personnel who put forward the issue at the time.

When contacted, St Hill said he was amazed by Chapman's charges.

"Whenever we make a decision, it is always a majority or unanimous decision," St Hill said. "There is always discussion and it is never a unilateral decision."

In his letter, Chapman also expressed disappointment in the manner the board of management handled some constitutional matters and the choice of the BCL First XI captain this season.

Chapman, an all-rounder who performed with some distinction for the BCL Division 1 side in the early and mid-1990s, said he was constantly reminded of the scenario between the smart and the powerful.

"It is simply a case where the smart put forward brilliant ideas but these ideas are always opposed by the powerful and labelled as stupid and unable to work," Chapman said.

Later, when it pleases the powerful, they reintroduce and implement the same ideas so as to make it seem like an original of the powerful.

Chapman took over general secretary in 1999 after unsuccessfully contesting the post of president against St Hill.

St Hill said he immediately told Chapman he was willing to work with him, but he said that over a period of time he was not happy with Chapman's output.

"I have tried my best to bend over backwards to co-operate with him, but I don't think he expected the workload that was involved," St Hill said.

While Chapman is no longer interested in serving in office, he still remains a member of the BCL.

"I would like to wish the members all the best in their future endeavours and pledge my undying support for the teams of the league and the management of the league," he said. "I will continue to practise in the hope of gaining selection to the senior team at some point in time."