By Clive Lloyd
Former Captain of the
West Indies Cricket Team; ICC Match Referee
It is always a pleasure when one is given the opportunity to say a few things about a celebrated compatriot.
I therefore welcome this opportunity to write briefly on my relationship with Sonny Ramphal. This task is rendered both easy and pleasurable by the fact that he has become an international statesman and in the process has won both my respect and admiration.
I cannot recall precisely when I first met Sonny Ramphal or when he came to my attention. What I do remember is his able management of the Foreign Ministry when LFS Burnham was Prime Minister and his equally able conduct of the foreign policy of Guyana and the search for regional integration and unity. I mean in those days, the late ’60s and early ’70s, it was virtually impossible not to be acquainted with Sonny’s activities. There he was addressing the United Nations or the Security Council or graciously receiving and entertaining foreign diplomats. He was the brilliant face of Guyana’s diplomacy.
My personal relationship with Sonny Ramphal grew when he invited me to his beautifully appointed home in London on more than one occasion. There was no better opportunity to have an understanding of the range of a man’s mind than to interact with him socially. It was on these occasions that I got some understanding of the encyclopaedic range of Sonny’s mind. Of course he was interested in cricket. The record shows that occasionally he donned his whites and played the odd game. But he was also passionately concerned about the condition of the Caribbean region and what he could do for its development.
In fact, I believe that even when Sonny occupied the prestigious position of Secretary General of the Commonwealth he still kept a studious eye on what was going on in the region in which he was born. His unrelenting activities on behalf of small states, his role in the independence of Zimbabwe and the resolution of the crisis in South Africa put him among the more intelligent statesmen of our time. His devotion to the protection of the planet also won international acclaim. It is interesting that it was also at Sonny Ramphal’s home that I met Sir Alister McIntyre and Lord Pitt. These are three individuals whom I have admired and who are genuine role models for the younger generation.
I was confirmed recently in my belief that Sonny is a true Guyanese and West Indian at heart when I read about his exploits in relation to the Guatemala/Belize border dispute and the Guyana/Suriname maritime boundary dispute. In both matters he played an important role and as a consequence he has brought renown to his own name, his country and the region. It is when I reflect on what he has done as Foreign Minister, as Secretary General, and in his ‘active retirement’ that I am forced to realize that this region is capable of producing individuals of the highest calibre who are second to none.
Maybe at this point I should try to be of more flesh and blood to Sonny Ramphal’s character. I have always been impressed by his good manners and his open and sincere character. It was rare to meet Sonny when he was not in a sunny mood. Only recently I met him on a visit to Guyana and we were able to exchange views on a range of matters. Let me hasten to say that at the end of these encounters I take away from them greater knowledge and understanding of the world. It is for all these reasons and more which I cannot enumerate here that I was more than pleased when we were both awarded doctorates by the University of Hull in 1984.
There is a story to this event. I was late on account of the traffic. But when I arrived at the university I discovered that Sonny had already been awarded his doctorate but the officials were awaiting my arrival to conclude the ceremony. It was then that Sonny told me: “Only Clive Lloyd could have kept them waiting.”
In view of his many contributions to the development of his own country and the region and his manifold activities in seeking the betterment of mankind, I have the greatest pleasure to wish him the happiest 80th birthday. I know in this particular case age is definitely a number and I am sure that Sonny Ramphal does not intend to slow down. There are too many things in the world to keep him busy.