This service that you perform is not only supplying the needs of God’s people but is also overflowing in many expressions of thanks to God” – 2 Corinthians 9:12
Well the Barbados leg of CWC 2007 has arrived. Everybody has come to the party. We must express thanks to God.
Ten days ago the Central Bank of Barbados launched their most recent Commemorative Coins to celebrate four of Barbados’ cricket Icons, The 3W’s – Sir Frank Worrell, Sir Everton Weekes, Sir Clyde Walcott – and The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers. There were three brilliant speeches, each with a profound message. Rev. Dr Wes Hall spoke on the life of Sir Garfield. Wes was his usual eloquent and witty self and left one in no doubt about the humility of his cricketing colleague and his contribution to the game in the Caribbean and beyond. Prof. Hilary Beckles expertly described an historical assessment of the impact of the 3W’s success on and off the cricket field to the development of our Caribbean nations. Sir Everton graciously and humorously responded on behalf of the honourees.
Our teenage cricket writer Avinash Vaswani took up his pen again and engaged readers of the Nation newspaper column ‘The Teen Umpire’, in the Cricket newspaper ‘Feva Pitch’ on April 07 on the subject of unraveling the mystery of what is missing in West Indies cricket.
Cricket Legends Barbados Incorporated has a new home, Herbert House situated at Fontabelle. The newly renovated facility will house their offices; provide a photo studio and waiting area, where fans will have the opportunity to be photographed with our very own legends. For the general public there will be a museum and library, a shop with various items of merchandise and a restaurant and bar.
James Corbin, a Barbadian, has invented cricket’s first ever board game. Eezee Kricket is a teaching-learning game which has several unique features including the capture of the history and tradition of the “on field” game in an easy but competitive manner that typifies the Caribbean way of life. It is extremely cosmopolitan because it can be very easily modified to suit any region or market and will therefore be loved by every cricket fan from nine to ninety years, from Bridgetown to Bombay to Sydney to Johannesburg.
EeZee Kricket can also be used by teachers and cricket coaches to teach their teams the history of the game in an exciting and stress-free manner www.eezeekricket.com.
The spanking new stadium at Kensington Oval is a sight to behold by day or night. A venue of which we can all be proud. It has undoubtedly contributed to the television spectacle and it has enhanced Barbados’ reputation as a preferred destination and will be a major part of the legacy of CWC 2007. May we successfully market this facility globally to attract major events so that the capital repayment and maintenance costs would not be a heavy burden on us, our children and grandchildren.
Today, there is the book launch “The First West Indies Cricket Tour – Canada and the United States in 1886” by Hilary McD. Beckles.
On Wednesday 18 at Olympus theatres, Blue Waters Productions Inc., Alison Saunders-Franklyn’s film production company, has decided to pull out all the stops and throw an old-fashioned, full-blown Hollywood style Première to mark the first public screening of the locally produced movie “Hit for Six” in a grand Red Carpet event held under the patronage of Prime Minister of Barbados, The Right Honourable Owen Arthur.
If you are dazzled by the big screen and wish to be part of Caribbean movie history, then be among the first to sit in your local cinema and view the first Caribbean-produced cricket movie. It brings together elements of love, intrigue, disappointment and passion, as the star seeks to overcome adversities related to his cricket game, personal relationships and lifestyle. “Hit For Six!” has a star-studded Caribbean cast. It has received the blessing of the West Indies Cricket Board and is made even more exciting with cameo appearances by some of the Cricket Legends of Barbados; soca queen Alison Hinds; cricket commentators Tony Cozier, Andrew Mason and Fazeer Mohammed, and famous cricket photographer, Gordon Brooks.
SFA Communication’s Cric Crac Cricket, as part of Cricket Fest, mounts a music and comedy show at the Plantation Restaurant at 8 pm on Sunday 22 April starring David Rudder and Paul Keans-Douglas.
Next week Tuesday at 8pm at the Errol Barrow Centre for Creative Imagination, there is the UWI Annual Frank Worrell Memorial Lecture “Is the Board, given its present structure, relevant to West Indies Cricket?” by guest speaker Rawle Cecil Brancker.
The Obsidian Theatre Company (www.obsidian-theatre.com) presents The Polished Hoe, based on the novel by Austin “Tom” Clarke. It plays at the Frank Collymore from April 25.
Amidst all this, the West Indies cricket team has unfortunately missed the bus and will not be at the party. I reiterate my two year old hypothesis: “The development of West Indies cricket does not have a hope greater than that of a snow ball surviving in hell, until Brian Lara retires from the international game”. Then, and only then, should we start the rebuilding process from top to bottom.