Legendary West Indies cricket captain Sir Clive Lloyd, 80, recently made a heartfelt plea for the region to come together to save West Indies cricket during an emotional tribute at the Emancipation Cricket Festival in St. Vincent and the Grenadines. Sir Clive and other members of the West Indies 1975 World Cup-winning team were honored.
Speaking at the event hosted by Prime Minister Dr. Ralph Gonsalves, Sir Clive struggled to hold back tears as he addressed senior national officials, dignitaries, former teammates, local cricket officials, and Vincentians.
“We made our West Indians walk tall wherever they were, and we should continue to do so, if we can only tell these young men the importance of cricket in our lives. Where would we have been without cricket? To me, cricket has given me upward mobility and done a lot for people who have worked to see this game grow. We cannot let it die. We must save West Indies cricket,” Sir Clive said.
“We must do everything to save West Indies cricket. This is our institution, and it is what we helped to build. We gave all we had to bring glory to the people of the West Indies. This is about our cricket and our people… because I love this game and my people.”
The event marked the climax of a week-long celebration of Caribbean cricket heritage. With the passage of a special citizenship bill, Sir Clive and the 11 other surviving teammates from the 1975 squad were granted Vincentian citizenship.
Dr. Gonsalves paid tribute to the World Cup winners during his remarks, calling Sir Clive “one of the greatest leaders in the history of sport, not just cricket” and noting that his captaincy had elevated the West Indies not only to a sporting power but also to a symbol of post-colonial pride.
The event also included the unveiling of the renamed “Legends Stand” at the Arnos Vale Stadium, where team members were honored with framed postage stamps.
