Veteran cricket administrator Lalman Kowlessar dies

LALMAN KOWLESSAR, the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board’s (TTCB) longest-serving member, died on Thursday night.

The former Presentation College, Chaguanas teacher was instrumental in the development of numerous cricketers, especially in the Central Zone.

He hailed from Enterprise Village and served as the TTCB’s second vice-president, board member and chairman of the Central Zone for many years.

Kowlessar was also a prominent member of the umpires’ fraternity and was remembered for his outstanding contribution through the years by the organisation’s former president Parasram Singh, now chairman of the North East Zone.

TTCB president Azim Bassarath, also a former umpire, highlighted Kowlessar’s stellar contribution to local and regional youth development.

“I have known Mr Kowlessar for about 25 years. The first time I met him was at an umpires’ training session when he came to Princes Town when the national training committee was visiting zones.

“I was an umpire at that time. When he started doing his law that he was supposed to do, I remember him quoting from the book and he didn’t have it in his hand. That struck me that here is a man that seems to know the laws of the game by heart,” Bassarath said.

Since then, the pair became good friends. Bassarath said Kowlessar was very passionate about the game and heavily involved in youth cricket.

Every year, the former administrator travelled to Barbados to view the Sir Garfield Sobers International Schools’ Cricket Tournament. He usually carried the Presentation College team to compete. When he didn’t, Kowlessar would still attend to view the region’s top youth cricketers in action.

The Bajans held him in high redard.

“In speaking to some of the people from Barbados (on Friday) morning, they spoke in glowing terms about him. They remembered him coming every year until the tournament was called off, I think two years ago, because of covid19.

“The president of the Barbados Cricket Association (Conde Riley) said he remembered Kowlessar coming from very early in that tournament, if not from its inception.

“They recognised the love he had for youth cricket. You would find him in every nook and cranny of the country looking at youth cricket.

“But also when the West Indies had tournaments he would have travelled to Antigua, St Vincent, Guyana and Barbados looking at Under-19 games,” Bassarath added.

Since the inception of the TTCB in 1980, Kowlessar had been a board member up until October 30 this year.

At ‘Pres’, ex-national and West Indies cricketers turned administrators Dinanath Ramnarine and Suruj Ragoonath would have trained and played under him.

Top Central Zone players such as Ravi Rampaul and Denesh Ramdin shared a similar experience with Kowlessar. Additionally, stand-in West Indies T20 captain Nicholas Pooran was also coached by Kowlessar at the Under-19 level.

Bassarath said, “He was a stalwart, very knowledgeable in the game and definitely one of the top administrators. I also remember him being president of the umpire’s body.

“We worked very closely together because I was his vice-president for those years he was at the helm. He is somebody we will miss in cricket in TT.”

A TTCB statement issued on Friday said tributes poured in from Central Zone chairman Anderson Ramdath, who credited him for being a foundation member of the zone whose advice and support were invaluable.

Justice Prakash Moosai, a former national batsman also hailed Kowlessar as an outstanding servant of the game notably combining sports and academics at Presentation College.

“Chairmen of the TTCB’s East Zone, and South East Zone, Joseph Sam Phillip and Kelvin Mohammed respectively, both memorialised him as a pillar of the game who will be sorely missed.

“Vice-president of the Women’s Cricket Federation Ann Browne-John said she spoke of the late cricket official’s son Kellman and was told that his father passed away peacefully in his sleep.

“And the chairman of the Tobago Cricket Association Kerwin John also joined in extending his deepest sympathies on Kowlessar’s passing.”