Tony Becca Tony Becca
EVERY NOW and then there is an occasion to remember - to cherish for as long as one lives, and the Wisden Scotiabank West Indian Jubilee banquet at the Pegasus Hotel on Tuesday night was one such occasion.
Part of the 75th anniversary celebrations of the West Indies in Test cricket, it was the occasion during which Jamaica announced their five greatest cricketers of all time, and what a night it was.
With cricket fans from almost every strata of the society present, with former West Indies stars Sir Everton Weekes and Joel Garner of Barbados, Richie Richardson of Antigua and Roger Harper of Guyana on hand plus a host of Jamaica representatives present and past, it was like a grand reunion - a family affair that left everyone happy and contented and beaming when it was all over.
It is said that there is nothing as stimulating as when old cricketers, or old fans, meet, and such was the atmosphere, the camaraderie that by the time they filed out of the ballroom, all who were present knew not only who were Jamaica's top five cricketers of all time, who played the greatest innings, and which bowling feat was the best.
HISTORIC AND ENJOYABLE
On a night so historic and so enjoyable that years from now those who were there will boast that they were there, they also knew, among a host of other things, who played the best cover-drive, who played the best late-cut, who bowled the fastest delivery, who bowled the best yorker, who took the most catches, who took the best catch, who was a good team man, and believe it or not, they also knew who was the best dressed.
After weeks of discussing it, arguing about it and voting on it, the people, the selectors, chose fast bowlers Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, batsmen George Headley and Lawrence Rowe, and wicketkeeper/batsman Jeffrey Dujon as Jamaica's top five, and although this country has produced so many great batsmen, bowlers and wicketkeepers, based on the reception that greeted the announcement of each one, every single one of them deserved the distinction and the honour.
As one woman said after the deeds of others like Alfred Valentine, Collie Smith, Jackie Hendriks, Gerry Alexander, Roy Gilchrist, Jimmy Adams and Christopher Gayle had been recited, however, it was a pity that only five were selected from such a field.
While it was a pity that one like Valentine did not make it and that one like Adams just missed out, as William Clarke, managing director of the Scotiabank group, said in his opening remarks, it just goes to show the quality players that Jamaica have produced and the wonderful contribution that Jamaica have made to West Indies cricket and to world cricket.
Another reason why the occasion was so wonderful was the humility of the winners - a humility that was well represented by Walsh.
LOVELY GESTURE
"On my way here, I did not expect too much, and I am indeed happy to be named among the top five - to be in such company," said the man who was the first to take 500 wickets in Test cricket, who up to a few days ago was the world recordholder for the most wickets in Test cricket, and who, in a lovely gesture, walked across to Rowe and embraced him after the classic batsman's 302 against England at Kensington Oval in 1974 was announced as the winner of the award for the best innings by a Jamaican in Test cricket.
For the record, Walsh, the man who talked about not expecting too much, polled the most votes and he was followed in order by Holding, Headley, Rowe, Dujon, Adams, Gayle, Smith, Valentine and Hendriks.
Tuesday night at the Pegasus was certainly a night to remember. It focused the spotlight on Jamaica's cricket, in doing so, it paraded the best of Jamaica's cricket, because of that it was a great occasion for cricket and more so for Jamaica's cricket, and hats off to those who made it possible - to Wisden the organisers, to all the sponsors and especially so to title sponsors Scotiabank.
Somewhere, a little boy who witnessed the parade of great Jamaicans may have made a pledge that one day he will be like one of them.
