Commentator ‘Reds’ Perreira to be honoured

JOSEPH “Reds” Perreira will be honoured by Cricket West Indies (CWI) for his service to regional cricket during the second Test match between West Indies and India at Sabina Park, Jamaica, on September 3.

CWI’s president Ricky Skerritt, speaking about Perreira, said, “CWI is indeed appreciative of your sterling contribution to the promotion of West Indies cricket and the development of cricket commentary in the region.” The St Lucia Hospitality and Tourism Association also congratulated Perreira on his career.

Perreira’s live commentary of the upcoming Test match at Sabina Park will be his 150th Test Match as a live commentator. A brief recognition ceremony will be held on the field on the third day of that match for the famed commentator whose vast knowledge of the game has inspired many cricket commentators.

CWI will also provide Perreira with a return Caribbean Airlines ticket from St Lucia (where he has resided for many years) to Jamaica, hotel accommodation at the Pegasus Hotel in Kingston and ground transportation.

“Whatever I have achieved has been because of people giving me the opportunity,” Perreira said about the upcoming recognition. “Nobody achieves anything by themselves. It’s also about taking advantage of the opportunities and prepare and learn from those opportunities.”

Perreira was born in Pomeroon on the Essequibo Coast in Guyana and moved to the capital, Georgetown, when he was six. He had a serious problem because of his inability to speak fluently and confidently, but with training and determination to move to the top he made it.

He has rubbed shoulders with world-renowned commentators like John Arlott, Freddie Trueman, Brian Johnston, Richie Benaud, Alan McGilvray, and his mentor, Tony Cozier. He reported from all the cricketing nations of the world, except Bangladesh. He covered the 1975 Prudential World Cup, the controversial Kerry Packer series, and games in South Africa during the apartheid days.

Perreira has also written a book on his work entitled Living My Dreams.