Dear Editor,
The ongoing responses by regional crowds to the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) has once again, if there was any doubt, unequivocally demonstrated the passion West Indians have for cricket. T20 cricket has re-energized interest and expanded the audience base from the traditionally dominated male crowds. This format at home, CPL, has truly become a family event and epitomizes the positive evolution of cricket-watching. Commendations are in order for the organisers, teams, the fans and all those involved.
With the overwhelming interest seen across the Region, it is clear that the crowds are an integral part of the CPL’s matrix. The adulation by fans for players has precipitated an acceptance, as seen in other such formats, of ‘one team’ regardless of where a player hails from. Adam Zampa ‘is we own’, to borrow a phrase. Tanveer ‘is we own’, Guptill ‘is we own’, as authentic as Barnwell, Permaul and Bishoo; the same for the other teams.
What remains unsurprising is the knowledge fans have of the players, local, regional and overseas. This exacerbates interest and support. Having witnessed over time the outpouring of support to players, I remain a bit concerned over the general recognition for past cricketers. While there have been some commendable efforts over the years, I believe the time has come to intensify and centralize those efforts for a more structured approach.
I am cognizant there are various mechanisms which were mooted before to recognize former local players of which some have been realized and are ongoing. These should be commended. Allow me to suggest a holistic national effort to create a prestigious ‘space’ (not confined to the internet) to bring focus to and genuinely recognize our past players. What is currently being done by some can be incorporated and refined, if necessary, for practicality in the present time.
Guyana has gifted the cricketing world a plethora of outstanding cricketers of whom, in my opinion, only a few make it to related conversations today. While evolution through time is undeniable, a designated space to document and preserve our cricketing history seems more relevant now. I cautiously say overdue.
I believe that the thousands of young fans and aspiring cricketers must be afforded the opportunity to benefit from historical data regarding Guyana’s cricketing evolution and its players. While it’s a daunting task, the benefit in the long term must be the catalyst for such motivation. Here are my humble suggestions.
First and foremost would be the ambitious suggestion for a cricketing museum. While population may impact on feasibility, pride is abundant. For such a venture to be effective, its design must be contemporary and aesthetically pleasing; its content must be comprehensive and access to the information must be easily facilitated through modern acceptable devices within. There is no shortage of related prototypes from other countries.
Museums are generally attractive places where families gravitate whether for the arts, sciences, etc. If accepted and designed correctly, it has the potential to not only attract the locals, but tourists, whose numbers would increase when matches are played here. Guyana can be exemplary in this regard and can better what some Caribbean states have done.
I believe this is a venture that the government can assist with, but it would need partners. This is another opportunity for collaboration with the private sector, the Guyana Cricket Board and if possible, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), CPL and the International Cricket Council (ICC).
One may argue why just a cricket museum when there other sporting fraternities that would claim to qualify for such recognition. While in my opinion cricket is a more dominant sport, I would welcome a National Sports Museum which includes cricket.
In addition to this ambitious project, I wish to reiterate the sentiments expressed by others in the past for the National Stadium reflecting the pride in recognizing former players. While there is a long list, all could not be recognized by this one facility. The acceptance in life is that while all are important, some impacted more than others.
Barbados, among others, has done an admirable job in using the Kensington Oval to recognize some of their outstanding players. My suggestions for Guyana would be as follows: –
Name the Providence facility the Lloyd/Chanderpaul Stadium. Clive Lloyd whipped the West Indies into a dominant force while winning two World Cups and Shivnarine Chanderpaul is the Guyanese with the highest aggregate of Test runs, one of the few in the world with over 11,000 with an average of over 50 and who played the most Test matches for the West Indies.
Rename the three stands, Red, Green & Orange, as (not in any preference of colours), the Fredericks/ Kallicharran (after Roy Fredericks and Alvin Kallicharran); Kanhai/Butcher (after Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher and the Fernandes/Solomon stands; the latter after Maurice Fernandes, the first Guyanese to represent the West Indies and to captain the Regional team, along with Joe Solomon who was integral in the historic first tied Test match.
Name the Media Centre after Joseph ‘Reds’ Pereira.
Name the VIP stand the Christiani/Pairaudeau Pavilion after Robert Christiani and Bruce Pairaudeau, two Guyanese who represented the West Indies in the ʼ50s.
Name the Players stand the Hooper/Sarwan Pavilion after Carl Hooper and Ramnaresh Sarwan, both former captains of the West Indies cricket team.
Name the bowling approaches the Gibbs/Butts and the Croft/Harper End after Lance Gibbs, the Guyanese with the highest number of Test wickets and Clyde Butts, a former Test player who was a dominant force in Regional cricket. Colin Croft was a feared bowler in one of Lloyd’s pace quartets and Roger Harper, a spin bowler, outstanding fielder and former Coach of the West Indies team.
Name the Venue Operation Centre (VOC) the Camacho/Singh Centre/Pavilion after Stephen Camacho and Chetram Singh, two outstanding cricket administrators.
The facility which houses the ground staff and the scoreboard, could be named after a groundsman or an umpire who contributed to the development of the game.
Consideration could also be given to naming the entrances (the turnstiles) possibly after Clayton Lambert and Leonard Baichan respectively. Both played a limited number of Test matches but gave yeoman service to Guyanese cricket.
While there are many others who have made tremendous contributions to Guyanese and West Indian cricket, unfortunately, as mentioned earlier, the limited facilities at the National Stadium, or any facility, would not allow for recognition of them all.
Here is where the proposed museum becomes the medium for such recognition. A National Cricket Hall of Fame can be introduced with inductions possibly every two years.
Finally, the NDCs can derive mechanisms either through street names, busts, billboards, etc, to recognize players from within their areas. I am sure a special fund for such recognition would not be too farfetched.
These proposed efforts would not only recognize the players, but would foster interest among the young within the community. We are all proud; maybe the time has come to demonstrate more profoundly, how much.
Yours faithfully,
Neaz Subhan
