Sobers, Hall recognised for contributions to TT cricket

Past Cricketers Society on Saturday honoured (left-right) Bryan Davis, Narine Ragoo, Sir Gary Sobers, Louise Browne, Richard Gabriel and Noel Robinson for their contributions.
Past Cricketers Society on Saturday honoured (left-right) Bryan Davis, Narine Ragoo, Sir Gary Sobers, Louise Browne, Richard Gabriel and Noel Robinson for their contributions.

WEST INDIES cricket greats Sir Gary Sobers and Sir Wes Hall were honoured by the Past Cricketers Society for their contributions to TT cricket, said society member, ex-national batsman Justice Prakash Moosai.

Hall, the former WI fast bowler, manager, chairman of selectors and board president, was the first non-TT citizen to be recognised by the society when he was among the 2017 list of awardees. Sobers, the legendary WI all-rounder and captain, joined Bryan Davis, Richard Gabriel, Narine Ragoo, Louise Browne, Garnet Gilman and Noel Robinson among those honoured on Saturday, at the Century Ballroom, Queen’s Park Oval, St Clair.

“Before, we’ve honoured 38 persons — ex-national cricketers, really,” said Moosai. “This year we selected seven others.

“The reason why Sir Gary and Sir Wes were selected this year and last year is because of their contribution to Trinidad cricket as well. There is a Trinidad component to it.”

The 81-year-old Hall, in collaboration with the West Indian Tobacco Company (WITCO), ran the Wes Hall Youth Cricket League in the late 1960s.

Sobers, 82, had a brief stint as a member of Queen’s Park during his decorated career.

Moosai added, “It’s not random. We look around, we take age as a requirement as well.”

Commenting on Saturday’s edition, Moosai said, “I think it was fabulous. I think it’s one of our most successful ventures, (based on) the crowd, the ambience.

“I think to have the star-studded cast and somebody as great as Sir Gary, I think that was worth more than anything. It’s unlikely that we would ever see him as close as we did (on Saturday). It’s unlikely that we would see him in this kind of environment again. It’s a good thing that the local folks at this level got to see him, interact with him and took photographs.”

This is the sixth year that the group has staged an awards ceremony.

Asked if he has seen growth in this project, Moosai, who played 20 First Class matches from 1982-1986, replied, “Yes.

That is essential. The main focus of this really is to try and raise funds so that we can continue with the charitable work that we’re doing, to enable past cricketers to get some benefits, by way of medical or any other way that we could.

The players of the 1950s (to) 1990s were not well paid, so our ex-national cricketers would not really be people of any substantial means.”

Comments

"Sobers, Hall recognised for contributions to TT cricket"

More in this section