“We must produce results for our membership.”
- Manaf Mohamed, Candidate for 2nd Vice President
Manaf Mohamed’s resume as a cricket administrator is phenomenal. He is well known in Florida cricket circles as an efficient organizer. He has founded a club and a league and has been involved at the regional and national levels in various capacities. Manaf is part of Ram Varadarajan’s team in this election and is running for 2nd VP. DreamCricket interviewed him to hear his plans for USA cricket and his views on the elections.
DreamCricket:Manaf, firstly, I must thank you on behalf of all of USA cricket for your dedicated service to the game in this country. As an administrator, you are so highly regarded, something that speaks volumes about your devotion to the game.
Manaf Mohamed: Thanks, Venu. I appreciate this opportunity.
DreamCricket: Tell me a little bit about your involvement in cricket. I guess this is a dumb question, but did you play a lot of cricket in your youth in Guyana? What brought you to America? Did you start playing as soon as you arrived on the East Coast?
Manaf Mohamed: I played the game up to my early teens. I wasn’t a good player but my friends were, so I continued going to the games even though it was just to be with my buddies. I soon found out that scoring, compiling the stats, taking out the drinks, packing and lugging the gear bag were all just as enjoyable as playing. I moved to America in 1973 for the same reasons as the many millions who came before and after. Better opportunities for education, career, and family development. I lived in New York for 15 years, but after moving to Florida in 1988, transportation, weather, and free time made it much easier to go to the parks and watch the game.
DreamCricket: You founded your club, Everest Cricket Club, which has its home ground at Brian Piccolo Park in 1989. You were part of the South Florida Cricket Association for a better part of the decade. Then you helped set up the Florida South East Cricket League in 1998. Can you walk us through why another league was set up?
Manaf Mohamed: The simple answer is that there were some extremely talented players in SFCA who were being denied the opportunity, for various reasons, to even participate in trial matches for selection on the SFCA League team. The League had a core group of players who were selected time and time again regardless of how they performed during the season. So I convinced a group of clubs to go our own way. The intention was that at least, these players would get some sort of national exposure and compete on an equal basis. It was left to me to do the paper work and organizing necessary to make FSCL a reality. I must say that even though we are competitors in the same market, FSCL and SFCA have very excellent relationships at all levels. On the field we go at each other for bragging rights, but off the field we work in a spirit of cooperation that has benefited both leagues. I sometimes wish our national cricket leaders can do the same.
DreamCricket: You were also among the catalysts for the formation of the United States Cricket Federation. What was the USCF? How did that come about? I hear that Kamran Khan was part of USCF too. Why was the USCF merged with USACA?
Manaf Mohamed: The Federation was created to fight the same fight that is being fought today. A group of concerned cricket administrators from across the country got together at Haverford College in Pennsylvania to discuss and perhaps, to lament over the state of cricket in the US at that time, which was, sad to say pretty much as it is today. No accountability, no transparency, lack of communication, no funding, no short-term goals, no long-term plans.It was agreed to form the Federation as an alternative to USACA and to go about seeking ICC recognition. Kamran Khan was appointed President, Michael Miller from California was the VP, Andy Coad (my apologies on the last name) from Staten Island was the Secretary, and I was the Treasurer.We did meet with Sir Clyde Walcott, who was heading the ICC at that time. If I can remember correctly, he did meet with both USACA and the Federation. However, it soon became apparent to me that the ICC was not interested in de-certifying USACA and recognizing the Federation. To me the message was: You guys need to work things out and put your house in order. The ICC meeting resulted in a series of meetings between the Federation and USACA and an agreement leading to a “merger,” so to speak.
DreamCricket: Tell us about some of your highlights/accomplishments as an administrator - at Everest, SFCA, FSCL and USCF.
Manaf Mohamed: As I look back, except for SFCA, I founded or co-founded the other three organizations.At SFCA, I am proud of the fact that as Treasurer, I never missed a financial report to the membership, never had a deficit, and at the GMs I was always present to answer all questions and concerns relative to the organization’s finances.Even though the USCF was short-lived, I believe it served its purpose in that it woke up cricket administrators around the country and got the ICC looking more closely at the way cricket was being administered in the USA.But I am most proud of FSCL. I single-handedly started FSCL with six clubs, today the membership is 16. FSCL have won the South East Regional Championships twice and have been runners-up twice, in the last four years. FSCL has a very dynamic Youth Development Program, it has organized and conducted numerous seminars and workshops for municipal employees and county leaders. Along with the SFCA, we have co-sponsored, the annual Lauderhill Night Cricket Tournament.I assisted the City of Miramar for almost two years on their new Regional Park. Today there are two lighted multi-purpose fields with regulation size cricket grounds.FSCL is the best kept secret in the country. We produce results for our membership, as we must do.
DreamCricket: Why are you running for USACA Second VP position? I mean you just got elected Secretary of USA South East Region. Do you think you can bring more value to your region as a member of the USACA Executive?
Manaf Mohamed: Interestingly enough, I had no intention of running for VP. I was appointed South East Regional Secretary and was so frustrated with the national administration I felt that at least I can assist in making the SE Region the best in the country.Then I met Ram and the rest of the New Inning team and soon realized that regional progress can only be achieved if national attitudes towards governance changes. So I accepted the invitation to join the team.
DreamCricket: What are your thoughts about Ram Varadarajan? Why did you join his slate?
Manaf Mohamed: Here was this successful businessman willing to take on the challenges of turning USACA around. His success and approach to marketing and fund-raising was a definite plus. But most of all I agree with his publicly stated belief in term limits.
DreamCricket: Do you think that this team has the experience and the ability that is needed to steer USACA forward? People have said he is not experienced in USA cricket matters even though he has done a wonderful job as the Chairman of the Tournament Committee for the Junior Nationals. How do you respond to these concerns?
Manaf Mohamed: Ram has put together a balanced team. Our team has over 40 years of experience in USA grassroots cricket - John Aaron, John Thickett, and I have been involved with grassroots cricket for a long time.Ram has only been involved in cricket administration for three years now, but it is widely acknowledged that he has brought a fresh and professional approach to cricket management in areas such as sponsorships, broadcasting, etc. Also, USACA needs a leader who is inclusive and responsive, not someone who polarizes others. Ram has those qualities and some of those qualities are already evident in how he formed the New Inning team, and how he communicated the team’s manifesto and conducted its campaign.There is a myth that to be a good cricket administrator one has to have played the game at a high level. If that was the case, then all cricket bodies the world over would be run today by international cricketers. USACA at this point in time does not need a successful cricketer. It needs a successful corporate leader.
DreamCricket: We certainly would agree with that. But what differentiates the New Inning approach from Dainty’s approach? The current team of incumbents is in the race.
Manaf Mohamed: I don’t know if you can call the incumbents a team. A team suggests equal billing and honest discussion of opinions.Ask yourself this question. Why should anyone belong to an organization from which they receive no tangible benefits and their opinions and views are constantly brushed aside only to be ultimately ignored? The easy answer has always been – For The Love of The Game. But for how long can one be quiet when the elephant is in the room, run for the penalty box at legal power plays, play second fiddle to deep pockets or watch silently as friends of friends are anointed despite proven incompetence.The New Inning team will make absolutely certain this status quo changes by implementing a completely different management technique. Our team pledges to solicit input from several experts on how best to develop the sport, collect input from the leagues about their needs and development ideas, communicate with all stakeholders involved in US Cricket, and provide incentives for tangible, measurable progress.
DreamCricket: I am sure that all of USA cricket appreciates what you just said. Coming to non-election matters, after retirement, you went back to school and obtained credentials in Early Childhood and Child Development. Do you think cricket can be brought in fully at the school level? Is it something that would be perceived as valuable to child development?
Manaf Mohamed: Any sport or game that allows a child to use and enhance their motor skills, while at the same time encouraging participation in a group activity will definitely aid in that child’s development. Every one knows that for cricket to gain any appreciable share of the American public’s attention it has to be brought into the schools. Every league in every region has some level of planning or implementation to do just this. Kudos to them all, but what’s missing is coordination from the national body.If elected, I would like to see the New Inning Team develop and make available to all, a primer on how to approach school administrators and present a case for introducing cricket to their schools.
DreamCricket: What is on the top of your agenda for USACA? What would you want to prioritize and where do you see your own experience as being valuable? Because the role of VP is not very well defined. And in the past, some of the VP’s were fairly inactive.
Manaf Mohamed: That’s true. There is no job description for the VPs. So it’s up to each VP to get involved, and frankly, the sheer magnitude of the job ahead requires that the President gets his VPs occupied and on the job immediately.There will be an awful lot of committee work to be done with regards to Youth Development, Women’s Cricket, Schools, Funding, Marketing, Umpires, Coaching, Competitions, International Relations, etc. etc. In no particular order, the list is endless.Now, this is where it becomes imperative to elect the entire New Inning team. If the President and the VPs are not on the same page, there is no way he can lead effectively. And knowing the track record of the current President, valuable time will be lost in one egotistical confrontation after the other.
DreamCricket: Thanks Manaf. And good luck with the election.
Manaf Mohamed: This election is perhaps one of the most definitive periods in American cricket history.A basic fundamental of a democratic community is the right of those belonging to that community to participate and be included in the decision-making process.In a very simple way, this is exactly what is so bothersome about the current managers of USACA. Their callous disregard for opposing viewpoints and their take-it, or leave-it attitude undoubtedly contributed to the disenchantment of cricketers and stakeholders nationally. Couple that with visible displays of insularity, it is no wonder USACA is looked upon with disdain at the international level.That’s why I urge all cricketers and stakeholders to participate in making this change become a reality by sharing your opinions and viewpoints with your Club, League and Regional Leaders.I also urge the League Presidents to listen to and include the wishes and desires of your constituency when deliberating on how to cast your vote. The New Inning team is the sum total of all of the parts of the team. We ask that you vote for the entire team. The synergy of a shared vision will allow us to hit the ground running after the elections.Thank you for offering me this opportunity to express my views. © 2008 Dreamcricket.com - Reproduced through the kind courtesy of DreamCricket.com © 2008 Dreamcricket.com - Reproduced through the kind courtesy of DreamCricket.com
