Schools get Nasser Khan's book on Oval's cricket history

THE Ministry of Education recently received copies of the book Sixty One Test Matches Played at the Queen’s Park Oval 1930-2020, to distribute to schools across the country.

The book was researched, written and produced by Nasser Khan, and is one of his many sponsored publications that have been similarly distributed to schools and libraries over the years.

Each secondary school in TT will receive two copies for its library. The initiative, sponsored by the Sport Company of TT, is meant to focus on youth literacy through sport and history. The Ministry of Education will facilitate the distribution.

Copies have already been donated to the National Archives, NALIS, UWI and University of TT. The book was part-sponsored by HealthNet Caribbean and Eniath’s Printery.

It has a foreword by former West Indies wicket-keeper and vice-captain, and former TT Cricket Board and Queen’s Park Cricket Club president Deryck Murray. who wrote of his boyhood dream of playing a Test match on the "hallowed turf of this most idyllic venue.”

The book’s largely pictorial 205 pages (a flip book sample can be viewed at https://online.fliphtml5.com/xqopr/cjzt/) shows all the scorecards and statistics from each of the 61 Test matches, along with corresponding team and action photographs for each game. Bonus pages include Queen’s Park’s history and that of the cricket club’s championship teams over the years.

In the introduction, Khan wrote, "The purpose of compiling this commemorative book is to preserve the memories of the 61 Test matches that have been played at the Queen's Park Oval over the period of 90 years, from 1930-2020…the Queen's Park Oval is one of the most picturesque and famous cricketing grounds in the world currently ranked 11th out of 121 in the most Test matches played category since the first Test match was played in March 1877 at Melbourne, Australia, between Australia and England. It is number one in this category in the West Indies.”

Among Khan’s 27 sponsored published works are a number of other cricket books, all of which have been distributed to schools, libraries and other institutions.

They include History of West Indies Cricket through Calypsoes and Seventy Three Test, ODI and T20I West Indies Matches played in Guyana 1930-2020.

Khan plans to publish Fifty Five Test Matches played at Kensington Oval 1930-2020, then move on to Sabina Park, Jamaica, to round off the series.