THE Berbice Cricket Board with sponsorship from the Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club last Wednesday honoured West Indies players Devendra Bishoo and Shemaine Campbelle under its Tribute to Heroes Programme. Bishoo was honoured for becoming the 15th Berbician to play Test cricket, while Campbelle was honoured for becoming the first female cricketer to score 150 runs in a single innings.
Chairman of the BCB’s Special Events Committee and Secretary/CEO of the RHTYSC, Hilbert Foster, hailed the two young Berbice cricketers as outstanding Ambassadors for the Ancient County and positive role models to youths.
Foster congratulated Bishoo for making his Test debut, following in the footsteps of John Trim, Rohan Kanhai, Basil Butcher, Joe Solomon, Ivan Madray, Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran, Clayton Lambert, Sew Shivnarine, Mahendra Nagamootoo, Narsingh Deonarine, Leonard Baichan, Sewnarine Chattergoon and Brandon Bess.
The long-serving cricket administrator challenged Bishoo to continue working hard, be disciplined and committed at all times and most importantly to remain humble to everyone he meets while maintaining his faith in the God he serves.
Foster expressed the BCB’s admiration of Campbelle who continues to make the county proud by becoming the first female in Guyana to score 150 in an innings and urged her to work on any weakness in her game.
BCB president Keith Foster also congratulated both players and pledged his Board’s assistance to them in any way possible.
Speaking on behalf of the awardees, Bishoo expressed gratitude to the BCB for honouring them, saying the gesture means a lot to him personally as he was proud to join the Elite List of Berbice Test cricketers, while pledging to continue working hard in the future.
He said his aim is to become a Legend of the Game and be remembered in the same way as Kanhai, Butcher, Kallicharran and Fredericks before him, after accepting a plaque, medal, trophy and a special BCB 15th Test Player Cap while Campbelle received a trophy and medal.