GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (CMC):

The embattled Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) yesterday said the confusion in the local cricket fraternity had disrupted the national side's preparation for the Caribbean Twenty20 and seemed set to also hamper the build-up to Friday's start of the Regional Four-day Championship.

Cricket administration here remains in chaos after government stepped in to take control of the GCB through an Interim Management Committee (IMC). This followed a ruling by Chief Justice Ian Chang after the legitimacy of the current executive was legally challenged.

"Our preparations for the recent CT20 Cup, which had included two practice matches against eventual finalists Jamaica and further encampment, were severely hampered," a release from the GCB said.

"The government of Guyana action had forced the eventual abandonment of all our plans and may have served the Trinidad and Tobago (eventual champions) cause well."

The GCB also accused regional players union, WIPA, of helping to also disrupt the Guyana side's preparation.

"Once again, in the lead-up to an important regional tournament, our national team members have been placed under tremendous duress with conflicting information being peddled by representatives of WIPA/WIPMACOL," the release continued.

In the recent CT20 played in Antigua and Barbados, Guyana finished third in Group A after winning two and losing two of their preliminary round games.

The lead-up to the Regional Four-day Championship has also been mired in uncertainty with identical 13-man squads named by the GCB and the IMC.

On Sunday, the West Indies Cricket Board moved to pull all of Guyana's games from the government-owned National Stadium at Providence. Guyana are now set to play their first four matches on the road.

In the release, the GCB again contended it was the "recognised authority and agent for the game of cricket in Guyana" and urged government to halt its current action.

While the confusion continued, the GCB argued, tournaments and programmes crucial to the development of local cricket, could not be launched.