… Remembered for more than cricket by many

 By Vanessa Braithwaite                    

IT was a serene and emotionally-charged atmosphere at the Mackenzie Sports Club ground, yesterday, as Lindeners paid moving tributes to the late Guyana and West Indies cricketer Basil Butcher.

Complementing these was the sound of the bauxite horn, a horn that is only sounded at the passing of iconic and extraordinary persons, who would have left an indelible mark on the lives of Lindeners.

While many would associate the name Basil Butcher with international cricket, Lindeners yesterday remembered him as a true son of the soil, a businessman, a mentor and the founder of Mashramani – a now national festival that commemorates the Republican status of Guyana.

For these outstanding contributions, a call was made for Butcher’s legacy to be etched into a ‘Linden Hall of Fame.’ The scores of persons, who joined family members at the MSC ground, comprised representatives of the Guyana Cricket Board(GCB), Anand Sanasie; vice-president of the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) Calvin Hope, former Barbados and West Indies fast bowler Charlie Griffth, who played alongside Butcher in the champion West Indies team led by Sir Frank Worrell,  and other representatives; local cricketers such as Jeffrey Trotman, president of the Linden Chamber of Commerce, Victor Fernandes; representatives from the Linden Mayor and Town Council and Regional Democratic Council; old neighbours of Butcher and others.

While his plethora of titles were highlighted, his contributions to national and West Indies cricket, took precedence. Sanasie underscored the level of discipline and determination Butcher demonstrated during his career as a batsman – qualities that would put him in line with the world’s best during his era – and what was phenomenal about him is that he shared his skills with many.

“Basil, in my conversation with him, he always had a word of advice for you, always do things this way and a lot of times, he was always right,” he said, while expressing condolences on behalf of the GCB.

Giving a detailed overview of his career was cricketer Jeffrey Trotman, who was part of the ‘Butcher Boys’ team – a group of boys who learnt to play under the tutelage of Basil Butcher. “We the Butcher boys idolised Basil,” he reminisced, adding that he first came in contact with him in 1965, as a shy thirteen-year-old, who was now being privileged to be coached by him.

In the cricket arena, Butcher was also remembered for the Basil Butcher Trust Fund which was deemed responsible for sponsorship of present cricket star, Shimron Hetmyer, and many others from all across Guyana.

He also played an integral role in coaching cricketers at the Mackenzie Sports Club, which also produced international cricketers. His son, Basil Butcher Jr, said that growing up, he and his siblings underappreciated what it meant to be children of a West Indies cricketer.

It was not until they migrated, that he realised what an iconic figure his father was, as he was approached in awe by persons of all walks of life when they heard the name and associated him with Butcher.

Lindeners took the opportunity to speak on Butcher’s contribution to economic development in Linden, by being one of the first distributers of Banks DIH products in the township.

Many members of his old staff were also present at the funeral to pay homage to the community catalyst. His old neighbour, Staydon Payne, reminisced on visiting the Butcher’s yard in Watooka, with other friends, where the local fruits and birds were part of the fun package.

He was also remembered for being a member of the Jaycees Group which was instrumental in the hosting of the Linden Mashramani and Float Parade.

While the atmosphere was no doubt sad, it also boasted a celebratory mood, since Butcher would have lived a fulfilling life and is only leaving behind positive and heroic memories to Lindeners, Guyanese, those in the local and international cricket arena and all those who crossed paths with him. He will be cremated today on the East Coast. Basil Butcher was a former Guyana and West Indies middle-order batsman of the 1950s and 1960s..

Butcher made Linden his home in 1965 when he took up the responsibility to coach the Mackenzie Sports Club team and players attending both primary and secondary schools across Mackenzie, through the Demerara Bauxite Industry (DEMBA).

He died on December 16 in Florida, after a prolonged illness.