HERO Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) and Rose Hall Town Youth and Sports Club, M.S have all expressed their sadness at the passing of legendary cricket writer and broadcaster Tony Cozier. He was 75. In separate condolence messages, Damien O’Donohoe, Chief Executive Officer of the CPL said “It was with great sadness that we learned of Tony’s passing.”
“To many fans across the Caribbean and beyond he was quite simply the voice of West Indies cricket. His love of cricket was a positive influence in telling the story across a golden era for West Indies cricket and he was hugely respected and loved, in equal measure, by fans of the game.
“For more than 50 years Tony’s voice has resonated through television, radio or the written word in homes across the cricketing world and he was admired internationally for his passion, insight and enthusiasm.
“Most recently Tony was kind enough to share some of his hopes and thoughts on the forthcoming CPL in a way that was typically Tony; full of insight, forthright opinion and, above all, humour. He spoke at length about his beloved Barbados, St Kitts & Nevis and the soon-to-be-published Jamaica. Though this series will now remain unfinished, like his legacy, they will live on and no doubt endure for all-time.
“On behalf of the CPL I would like to extend my sincere condolences to his wife Jillian, children Craig and Natalie and his family and friends at this difficult time. May he rest in peace!”
The GCB in a release stated that “Cozier was one of the most respected cricket journalists, analysts and historians in the world and was among the best that came out of the Caribbean.
“His name goes simultaneously with West Indies cricket as he covered almost every series they played in since 1962. His passing is a great loss to the cricket fraternity across the world. It is safe to say that in many years to come, stories would be told about his exemplary and stalwart work,” the release stated.
Meanwhile, the release from the RHTYSC indicated that Cozier was not only a Caribbean icon, but the voice of West Indies Cricket.
“West Indies cricket, in its correct stage cannot afford to lose such a stalwart, Cricket to some was a passion, but for Cozier it was life, and with his sudden death, the West Indies has lost an honest, hardworking and highly knowledgeable servant of the game,” the release stated.
The release added, “The commentary box in the Caribbean will never be the same as most listeners always looked forward to Tony Cozier and for most of us; his voice would always remain in our ears. Long before the advent of television, it was legends like Cozier, Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira, Henry Bolfeld, Brian Johnson and Fred Truman, who teased our imagination over the radio.”
“For the passionate cricket readers, the Sunday Stabroek News will not be the same again as we all looked forward to his weekly articles which were well researched, to the point and quite passionate about the future of West Indies Cricket,” the release concluded.