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“The TTCB is in excellent financial health.” That was the message from newly elected third vice-president of the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB), Avinash Suruj, as he and newly appointed general secretary Henry Chase defended the organisation’s financial and governance record following an independent audit. Suruj indicated that the audit was presented at the Board’s recent Annual General Meeting. Speaking on the TV6 Morning Edition yesterday, alongside Chase, Suruj said the findings of the audit represented a strong vote of confidence in the management of the local cricket body. “In the elections build-up and even within the AGM we had on Saturday, the audit that was done showed that the TTCB is in excellent financial health,” Suruj claimed. “That was another plus for the board that came forward—another plus that came from an independent auditor. So again, it’s something that we’re starting on. This is now a starting point for us as an executive to move forward.” The comments come amid recent public scrutiny of the TTCB’s internal affairs, following allegations of financial impropriety as a result of the 2023 revelation by then treasurer Kishwar Chaitoo of allegedly missing or unaccounted money from the organisation’s financial accounts. The TTCB subsequently secured a default judgment in a civil case to recover the allegedly misappropriated funds from a former employee. Yesterday, however, both Suruj and Chase insisted that the audit’s findings and a recent appellate ruling had cleared the air around those financial management issues. Chase, an attorney-at-law, stressed that the TTCB had been “exonerated” of all allegations of wrongdoing. “Words such as collusion and theft have been negative, but the TTCB has been exonerated by virtue of the appellate committee headed by Court of Appeal Justice Moosai, which produced a 75-page judgment,” Chase said. “The allegations that were made as it relates to the president, the then general secretary and first vice-president signing cheques and imputations of theft—those were totally disregarded. Moreover, as my colleague Avinash said, the independent auditors have provided a clean bill of health.” Chase added that his legal background would help reinforce transparency and accountability at the administrative level, noting that he would be guided by the constitutional principles of the Board and the rule of law. “If at any time I should see collusion, misappropriation, or fraud, my integrity is at stake. As an officer of the court, I have a right to speak,” Chase declared. Suruj also pointed out that despite the off-field controversies that have surrounded the TTCB in recent years, the organisation continues to be held in high regard across the Caribbean. “The TTCB is one of the better-run boards in the region,” he said. “In fact, the president of Cricket West Indies was here recently for an award ceremony and mentioned that the TTCB is one of the boards he looks to for administrative guidance.” While the new executive aims to modernise and rebrand the Board, Suruj said the priority over the next four years would be to focus on cricket development—particularly at the grassroots and zonal levels—while restoring public confidence in the system. “We want to focus on the cricket. The elections have come and gone, and the focus right now is going to be on the field,” he said. Chase, meanwhile, underscored the need for continued education on governance principles, citing a governance report authored by Dr Sheila Rampersad, Ellis Lewis, and Justice Kokaram as a useful guide for clubs and administrators. “We don’t operate by ‘vaps,’” Chase said. “We follow rules and regulations, and we ensure fair hearing and due process when accusations are made.” Both also officials expressed optimism that the next four years under TTCB president Azim Bassarath would mark a period of stability and renewal for local cricket administration.
