Guyana and West Indies cricket legends, cousins Clive Lloyd and Lance Gibbs, will be honoured tomorrow during the first Digicel One-Day International between West Indies and England at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
These outstanding crickets will officially enter the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Hall of Fame during a ceremony at lunch time when the special Hall of Fame caps will be presented.
In an invited comment with Stabroek Sport, Lloyd expressed his delight at being honoured by the game’s governing body.
“It’s a wonderful achievement one would have been pleased to be involved with. To be in the first batch would have made it more special for me. To be honoured along with Rohan Khanai, Sir George Headley and Sir Garfield Sobers, your boyhood heroes, makes it more special.”
The former West Indies captain further stated, “I am quite sure that in the future, other Guyanese would be joining this group, (and I would be saying to them, well done on your achievements both on and off the field.”
The 64-year-old Lloyd played 110 Test matches where he scored 7,512 runs at an average of 46.67, with a top score of 242 not out against India at Mumbai in the West Indies 1974-75 tour.
Gibbs, who was once the game’s leading wicket taker with 309 wickets on his retirement, played 79 Test matches and averaged 29.09 while taking 18 five-wickets and two 10-wicket hauls respectively.
They are among 13 West Indians to be awarded the caps during the ICC’s Centenary Year. The first ceremony took place in Antigua during the third Digicel Test – where Sir Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts and Michael Holding were presented with their caps.
The second was done during the fourth Digicel Test in Barbados, when Barbadians Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Garfield Sobers, Gordon Greenidge and Malcolm Marshall were honoured.
George Headley’s cap will be presented to his family in Jamaica, while Guyanese Rohan Kanhai will be honoured in England at a date to be announced.
The 13 West Indian legends are: George Headley, Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Clyde Walcott, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Garfield Sobers, Rohan Kanhai, Lance Gibbs, Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Gordon Greenidge and Malcolm Marshall. (By Calvin Roberts)
