President of the Republic of Guyana, Donald Ramotar during his feature address at the 75th annual Berbice Cricket Board (BCB) Jubilee celebration, deemed the board’s contribution as invaluable as well as an “integral part of cricket in Guyana” while confirming the government’s future support for the board.
Ramotar, along with members of the BCB executive committee, Minister of Agriculture Dr. Leslie Ramsammy, Minister of Sports Dr. Frank Anthony, Regional Chairman #5 Bindrabhan Bisnauth and other dignitaries were present at the board’s celebration of its accomplishments which spanned from 1948 to 2014.
“Without a doubt, some of the talent came out of Berbice and became entertainers on the world stage,” declared the president.
He expounded on cricket and its ability to bring the people together over the years, admitting that it plays pivotal roles in the cultural and natural lives of Guyanese which over the years have expanded in the realms of music and literature.
An ardent cricket fan and a bit of an enthusiast, Ramotar rewound to the nostalgic time when legends such as Basil Butcher, Rohan Kanhai and Alvin Kallicharran among others ruled over bowlers and struck fear into the hearts of the opposition. He recalled encounters between Guyana and Barbados where at that time, the best of the West Indian crop of players clashed in regional first-class tournaments.
He went on to admit that Butcher in his mind, undoubtedly had the best on-drive he had ever seen. Shifting from the talents of Butcher, Ramotar painted the picture of Kanhai’s unbeaten 195 versus Jamaica, the innings according to His Excellency, which “Launched his career” inevitability taking him into the international Hall of Fame.
Another important and forgotten part of Berbice cricket was dug up by President Ramotar who lauded GUYSUCO, the sugar plantation, for its work over the years in producing most of the top cricketers from Berbice who at that time came out of the plantations.
Speaking about the T20 format of the game, Ramotar declared that “20/20 is here to stay” while admitting 50-overs ODI cricket is still exciting and Test cricket is an important part of the game’s structure. The recently installed lights at the Albion Sports complex was a big step according to the country’s leader who pointed out that it was “important to help produce the next crop of 20/20 players.”
The BCB were also given a huge morale boost when he confirmed that the board can “count on our support” in the future while explaining that while it is good to honour past players, historians who invest time to write books and articles about these legends should be acknowledged too, thus calling for more cricket historians.
In closing, Ramotar stated that he was very pleased to be a part of the celebrations, congratulating the BCB on their milestone and calling for the continued support from Berbicians and Guyanese alike in order to help promote cricket.
