Tony Becca

The death of Sir Clyde Walcott has left many in the world of cricket mourning - and quite rightly so. He was, at home and abroad, a big man in the world of cricket.

Instead of mourning, however, we should be celebrating - and for three reasons.

Reason number one is that he died at 80, and that means he did more than his three scores and 10. Reason number two is that as one of the famous Three Ws, as a batsman who scored 3,798 runs with 15 centuries at an average of 56.68, as one who scored five centuries in one series including two in one Test match on two occasions, he was a great player. And, reason number three is that as one who gave back, he was also a volunteer.

Great volunteer

In fact, as one who gave back more than he got, he was a great volunteer, and in this day and age when volunteers are hard to come by, when good volunteers are especially hard to come by, and particularly so in West Indies cricket where many of those who played the game, many of those who have been to the war and therefore have so much to offer, sit by, criticise and do not get involved, we should lift our glasses in a toast, in a salute, to one who did get involved - and for a long time at that.

While it is true that he did rise to the position of president of the West Indies Cricket Board, and to that of chairman of the Inter-national Cricket Conference, to the chairman of the West Indies selection committee and to the manager of the West Indies team, those were not positions which were handed to him on a platter, and neither was the knighthood that was bestowed on him in 1994.

All those positions were handed to him simply because of his work in West Indies cricket for West Indies cricket, because of his work for cricket in general, and because of his successes.

When Sir Clyde went to coach in Guyana, he did so, not so much because of the money he was being paid by the sugar interests in Guyana, but because, in the interest of West Indies cricket, he wanted to assist in the development of the young talent in that country. He spent a long time there, and out of Guyana came the likes of Rohan Kanhai - one of the greatest and most exciting batsmen the West Indies and the world have ever seen; Lance Gibbs - one of the best spinners the West Indies and the world have ever seen; Clive Lloyd - one of the most exciting batsmen and one of the best captains the West Indies and the world have ever seen; Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Roy Fredericks and Ivan Madray.

When Sir Clyde accepted the offer to be a selector and then the chairman of the selection committee, he did so not because of the small allowance, but because of a commitment to serve West Indies cricket. When he accepted the offer to manage the team, again he did so not because of the small allowance in those days, but because of his commitment to serve West Indies cricket, and there is no doubt, there can be no doubt, that Walcott as the chairman of the selection committee and as manager of the team were two of the reasons why the West Indies were once, and for so long, the best team in the world.

The big man's shoes

As we wish Sir Clyde farewell, therefore, the hope, although this is not the age of volunteerism, is that someone, or rather some people, will step up, step into the big man's shoes and work with the same zest - the same dedication as he did.

Based on those he produced, or assisted in producing, on the success of the West Indies team while he was selector and manager, Sir Clyde proved that those who have been there, or many of those who have been there, and particularly so the great ones, have something to offer West Indies cricket - providing they are dedicated to West Indies and that regardless of how great they were, they are humble.

As we say goodbye to Sir Clyde, those with something to offer, those who believe that in the quest to go back to the top, they probably can hand the West Indies another Kanhai, another Gibbs, another Lloyd and so on, should step up.

At the same time, in saying their goodbye, the board members should, however, open their arms to those who are willing to try to fill the shoes of a giant.