VICTORY by Barbados in today’s final of the WICB Regional One-Day Championship against the Leeward Islands at Sabina Park will be dedicated to late Prime Minister David Thompson.
According to national cricket captain Ryan Hinds, the players and management “are deeply saddened by the Prime Minister’s death”.
But he said the grieving cricket team, which will be wearing black arm bands, would still be going all out to win the title.
“On behalf of the Barbados team, I would like to extend condolences to the family of the late Prime Minister,” Hinds said.
“He was a great leader and will be sadly missed. He was a cricket fan and a BCA [Barbados Cricket Association] member and we are not only going to win this game as players for ourselves but the whole nation,” he said.
Pancreatic cancer
Thompson, 48, died early yesterday morning at his St Philip home after ailing for the past few months with pancreatic cancer.
“Obviously, the guys are in mourning and are saddened by such a monumental loss. Most of us were still in our beds when we got the sad news,” Hinds said.
As a mark of respect the BCA and the Barbados Cricket League postponed all matches scheduled in their various divisions for yesterday and today.
He was a regular at the Gall Hill playing field in St John on Saturdays, watching matches involving this year’s losing Sagicor General Shield finalists Pine Hill Dairy St John Cultural.
Thompson was also an avid football fan and took on the role of manager of the Families First St John Sonnets team which he sponsored when he was Opposition Leader and also attended matches in the local competition under the auspices of the Barbados Football Association as well as out-of-season tournaments.
