Dear Editor,
The Stabroek News editorial on Wednesday entitled `Dependable Butcher’ is a fitting tribute to a fallen legend and a simple and humble person, Basil Fitzgerald Butcher. Moreover I fully agree with the comment that “middle order batsmen of Butcher’s ilk – read, Joe Solomon, Larry Gomes – more times than not sacrifice the pursuit of personal statistics for the betterment of the team”.
Even though his batting average in the test matches is good by comparable standard it cannot give the true picture of how useful his contribution was to the West Indies. The rise of West Indies cricket was dominated by the great contribution of players from especially Guyana and Barbados.
Apart from being a dependable middle order batsman Basil Butcher was also a captain of Guyana and Berbice. He served as captain of Guyana in his last appearance against Trinidad, scoring a century in the Shell Shield competition at Bourda in 1971. He later captained Berbice in the Jones Cup against Demerara. Butcher’s name was placed in the Hall of Fame at Lords before many of his contemporaries being the first Guyanese to score a test century at Lords in that unforgettable innings of 133 not out against England. It is also significant to note that Rohan Kanhai who scored 21 was the only other batman to reach double figures in this innings.
Basil Butcher was a strong critic of the cricketing administration in Guyana and West Indies. He pointed out to me that Port Mourant’s success at cricket was due to the quality of the cricket ground built by the sugar estate manager, J A Gibson at the Community Centre. The community centre at Port Mourant was successfully managed by the cricketers and workers. The ground was well kept by Mr. Sookram Snr, the father of the late Annand Sookram, an accomplished cricketer and a junior table tennis champion. It is therefore no accident that Port Mourant, a sugar plantation produced four test cricketers in the West Indies namely Kanhai, Butcher, Solomon and Madray in the 60’s.
Basil Butcher, an outspoken character held to his views very strongly. For a short period, he appeared on the GUARD platform at Parade Ground calling for fair and free elections in Guyana in the 90’s but he did not meddle in politics and once told me that he is just an “MP” – a member of the public.
Farewell to a fallen hero.
Yours faithfully,
Rajendra Rampersaud
