By Paras Ramoutar, IANS
Port of Spain : West Indies players should know the great tradition they spring from and local cricket must not be allowed to die, Trinidad and Tobago cricket board president Deryck Murray has said.
He was speaking Wednesday at the Trincity Cricket League Awards ceremony sponsored by Home Construction Limited.
Murray, former West Indies vice-captain and wicket keeper, said the history of the game must not be forgotten. “C.L.R. James wrote about it and we need to ensure that people do not forget what it is all about. This must be taught in all our schools so that the future generations will have an idea of what the pioneers of cricket stood for.
“We had great players who made us better than our masters at their colonial game. What this means to us as a people and the players who were able to make these changes must be understood.
“The current national and West Indies players should be educated about the traditions they have to live up to. The accomplishments of George Headley and Sir Learie Constantine and what it signified to the players and us as a people must be kept alive.”
Murray said the current group of players must know what they represent and that it stretches beyond the field of cricket, so they do not take their place and role on the West Indies team for granted.
Murray insisted the teaching of the history of the game was something owed to the people to ensure the growth and development of cricket.