THIS PAST WEEK Barbados publicly celebrated the birthday of its only living National Hero, Sir Garfield Sobers.
More than 40 years after retiring from the game of cricket, he remains a real legend in his time. Engaging, endearing, it is simply a joy to be in his company. At 80 not out, the sincere wish is for his innings to continue much longer.
The same can be said of the little master, Sir Everton Weekes – a true gentlemen; well spoken, always dapper and a delightful conversationalist.
These men are real nation builders.
Whenever you think about them and their exploits, your face will light up; there is a sense of pride.
Barbadians young and old know of Sir Garry and Sir Everton. So too do cricket fans in England, Australia and elsewhere in the cricketing world who respect and hold them in awe. The unfortunate thing about Sir Garry and Sir Everton is that these extraordinarily talented men came along at a time when cricket offered few financial rewards, even to its best players. Today, a player can be third rate, but the money is there flowing his way, along with numerous other entitlements.
Because of Sir Garry and Sir Everton, this little dot in the Caribbean commanded respect across the rest of the English-speaking Caribbean while the West Indies team enjoyed special status in the cricketing world; that is, until recently.
[Frank] Worrell, [Clyde] Walcott, [Wes] Hall, [Charlie] Griffith, [Gordon] Greenidge, [Desmond] Haynes, [Joel] Garner and [Malcolm] Marshall and many others from Barbados, by use of talent and application of skill, dispelled the myth of one group of people being superior because of class and/or colour.
West Indians living in London would cry at these men’s achievements, not out of dismay and despair, but because of what they did for the disapora. The thousands of Jamaicans, Trinidadians, Guyanese, Barbadians, people from what were then called the small islands, could all walk with their heads held high all across Britain. These men made playing bat and ball mean something very special to all West Indians.
Today, in their golden years, we ought to truly show them our appreciation.
As a National Hero, Sir Garry should be accorded many privileges. It would not be out of place to have a library dedicated to his accomplishments; pictures, bats, balls, uniforms, shoes, descriptive audio of his exploits by Tony Cozier, John Arlott and Henry Blofeld; books written by and about Sir Garry, and all the other relevant information kept in one location.
But in practical terms, Sir Garry should be entitled to all the niceties in life at this stage – a chaffeur-driven vehicle with his own licence plate boldly stating Sir Garry, a diplomatic passport and a fitting monthly allowance.
We should also ensure Sir Everton is well looked after.
These men have been strong brands and have left outstanding legacies.
Sir Garry is not just about sport, but a real ambassador who this country should be using to promote its interests whether in Britain, especially after Brexit, or in the emerging superpower of India. So he should be going with selected missions promoting the country as a credible offshore financial jurisdiction, or seeking foreign investments, trade and sports tourism opportunities.
Just think of how many former politicians whose contributions can never equate to what Sir Garry or Sir Everton or indeed so many of the other players have achieved for this country. The politicians are mostly forgotten soon after demitting office. Yet some of them can retire in style with secure pensions as the law rightfully allows; yet with no legacy to celebrate.
That’s why we must all hail Sir Garry.