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Five incumbents defeated as new six-member team takes control of Central Zone club representation
A six-member team led by Central Zone Chairman Vyash Nandlal swept all six positions in the Central Zone Club Representative Elections held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, in a major shake-up of the zone’s leadership.
The highly competitive election saw five incumbent Club Representatives lose their positions, clearing the way for a new team to represent clubs on the Central Zonal Council.
Nandlal and Anand Kaliepersad topped the poll, each securing 29 votes from a possible 50. Jean Marc Awong and Dennis Mitchell followed closely with 28 votes apiece, while Charad Ganessingh received 27 votes. Alvin Chabilal secured the sixth and final elected position with 26 votes.
Among the notable unsuccessful candidates was Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) Third Vice-President Avinash Suruj, who polled 22 votes to finish seventh, four votes short of the final qualifying position.
TTCB Board members Farouk Ghany and Ishwar Ramnath were also defeated, receiving 20 and 19 votes respectively. Former Club Representative Nicholas Hosein, meanwhile, polled 21 votes and was unable to retain his position.
The six successful candidates will serve a four-year term as Club Representatives on the Central Zonal Council.
The newly constituted Council is expected to meet at its upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), where it will elect the zone’s executive and choose three representatives to serve on the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board.
Nandlal, who currently serves as Central Zone Chairman, is expected to seek another term in the position at the AGM.
Following his team’s victory, Nandlal called for unity among clubs and administrators, urging all stakeholders to put the election behind them and focus on addressing the challenges facing the zone.
“The politics are over, and it’s time to manage the zone in a fair and inclusive manner. There is a space for everyone,” Nandlal said.
The election result represents a significant shift in the composition of the Central Zonal Council, with the new representatives now tasked with guiding the zone through the next four years.
Lalta tops TTCB Club Representative Elections in the East Zone.
In the East Zone Council, Kevin Lalta emerged as the leading candidate in the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board (TTCB) Club Representative Elections, securing 21 votes to head the six successful candidates.
Jewan Seeraj was second with 16 votes, followed by Mikhail Williams on 14 and incumbent chairman Kelvin Arneaud with 13 votes.
Servius Pamphile secured the fifth position with 11 votes, while current vice-chairman Sharaz Mohammed claimed the final spot with 10 votes.
The results represented a significant shift in support among the clubs, with both Arneaud and Mohammed surviving the challenge but appearing to have lost considerable backing.
Arneaud, the current chairman, polled only three votes more than Vido Ramroop, who finished just outside the successful group with nine votes. Anil Samaroo and Jason Ramnath each received eight votes.
The closely contested results have set the stage for what could be a significant battle for control of the TTCB East Zone Council, with attention now turning to the upcoming Executive Elections.
Both Arneaud and Mohammed are expected to seek to maintain their influence within the zone as they look to continue in leadership roles.
However, the election results suggest that there is a growing appetite among clubs for a change in the composition and direction of the East Zone Executive.
With the Club Representative Elections completed, the zone will now move into preparation for the Executive Elections, where the balance of power could once again be tested.
Lalta’s commanding performance places him in a strong position following the club vote, while the narrow margins separating the successful candidates from those who missed out underline the competitive nature of the contest.
Ramroop’s nine votes, along with the eight each received by Samaroo and Ramnath, demonstrate that there was considerable support for candidates seeking to enter the representative structure.
The upcoming East Zone Council Executive Elections will therefore be closely watched, particularly against the backdrop of the latest club voting results.
The key question will be whether the clubs’ desire for a new direction will translate into changes at the executive level, or whether the existing leadership will retain sufficient support to continue its stewardship of the zone.
For Arneaud and Mohammed, the results provide a warning, despite both securing enough votes to retain their representative positions.
For those calling for change, meanwhile, the challenge will now be to turn the momentum from the representative elections into a new leadership configuration when the East Zone goes to the polls.
— Ian Wason
English (US) ·