Dear Editor,
The undersigned was most excited to learn of the tribute to my once working colleague, Joe Solomon. One looks forward to the book that is to be produced by Professor Clem Seecharan and Ian McDonald, a former Director of Bookers Sugar Estates and the Guyana Sugar Corporation. Interestingly, the article appears to have missed the substantive fact of Joe’s emergence in cricket while a member of the sugar industry. Indeed as Personnel Director at the time Joe reported to me in a very productive relationship, having invited him to remigrate to manage the very active sports programme in those days. Remember too that Rohan Kanhai and Basil Butcher were products of training by more than another hallowed Guyanese test cricketer, Robert Christiani, who was then Welfare Officer at Port Mourant Estate, since closed.
En passant I have also known his brother Maurice Solomon, even before Joe, as we both began our careers in sugar at Blairmont Estate in the 1960’s – Maurice as Assistant Office Manager (Accountant) and I as Assistant Personnel Manager. As it turned out, after those sleepless nights of the Australian Series and Joe’s monumental feat of tying the last test match, I welcomed Joe back with anxiety and overflowing admiration. Anxiety, because as a blossoming writer I wanted so much to record Joe’s personal account and reproduce a book in his honour. However, it might have been that my hero did not quite realise at the time how historic would be this contribution to the annals of test cricket.
The celebration in New York is most fitting. I missed being there, preferably with my book, the tentative draft of which had carried the photo of Joe’s glorious throw to the final wicket. Please Mr. Narine, pass on my warmest and oldest congratulatory memories to Joe Solomon, the Great.
Sincerely,
E.B. John