PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad, (CMC) – Tributes have started to flow for the late Michael “Joey” Carew.
The former Trinidad & Tobago captain and West Indies batsman died at his home in Woodbrook in the two-island republic’s capital late on Saturday. He was 73.
“The loss of Joey – who remained passionate about the game at all levels until the very end – is one which leaves West Indies cricket poorer,” said West Indies Cricket Board President Julian Hunte. “He reached the very top as a cricketer and remained astute and feisty in his assessment of the game and cricketers for the decades he served as West Indies selector, being responsible for selecting some of the greats of the West Indies cricket.”

National captain Daren Ganga described Carew as a T&T legend and one who had impacted on his career.

“It was an esteemed honour in knowing Joey, and I must say he was always a great help to me,” said Ganga.

“I would like to send condolences on behalf of the entire T&T cricket team to his family.”

Ganga added that the national team, which is in Antigua for the first leg of the Caribbean Twenty20 Championship, starting on Monday, will now be going all out to win the regional T20 cricket series in memory of Carew.

“We are here in Antigua to begin our T20 quest, and we were greeted with this terrible news,” he said. “We will dedicate this series to him, and we want to badly win this tournament now in his honour.”

T&T players will show their respect to Carew by wearing black armbands when they hit the field on Thursday for their opening match against Leeward Islands.

Former T&T captain and West Indies wicketkeeper/batsman Deryck Murray played alongside Carew, and felt he would be best remembered for being the hub around which many things revolved.

“Wherever Joey was, he was also central to whatever topic was being discussed, be it serious or otherwise,” he said. “He was such a fun-loving guy that he drew people to him.

“The public perception of Joey was one of him being a very hard and aggressive captain, who enjoyed a lot of success on the field for T&T.”

The former president of the T&T Cricket Board said: “In the early times, he was able to bring T&T back-to-back titles in 1971 and 1972, and for this, he was showered with great accolades.

“I think that cricket has lost a great man because he was totally passionate about the sport. He would look at cricket at every level and visit every recreation ground to look at the players. He was always available to assist young players and he would be sadly missed.”

Carew played 19 Tests for the West Indies, scoring 1,127 runs at an average of 34.15. He also took eight Test wickets with his uncomplicated leg-spin.

After his playing days, he enjoyed three stints as a West Indies selector starting in the 1970s, but his greatest legacy to the game in the two-island republic and the Caribbean will be his mentoring of batting legend Brian Lara.