Mr. Hafiz Ali, CEO of the Rockaway Group of Companies—home to the renowned Rockaway Roti Shop and Royal Empress Hall—once again opened his doors to host a farewell dinner for the Windies Masters as they prepared for their journey to the O50s World Cup in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
The Rockaway Roti Shop and Royal Empress Hall have gained a reputation as the go-to destination for authentic West Indian cuisine in the New York area, known for their exceptional quality offerings to both Caribbean and North American patrons. The farewell dinner was a delightful event, attended by 14 of the 17-member squad along with four directors from the Cricket West Indies Masters Association (CWIMA): Chairman Raj Singh, Vice Chairman Dave Narine, Zamin Amin, and Gerald Singh. Mr. and Mrs. Hafiz Ali were also present, along with several other supporters. Notably absent from the gathering were players Sudesh Dhaniram, Stephen Howell, and Surendra Seeraj.
The West Indies team finds themselves in the more challenging of the two pools, competing alongside Australia, Pakistan, India, South Africa, Wales, and Canada. They will kick off their campaign against South Africa on Sunday, followed by a match against India on Monday. All games will consist of 45 overs and utilise Duke balls. After a day of rest on Tuesday, the team will take on Canada and Pakistan on Wednesday and Thursday, respectively. Following a three-day break, they will face Australia and Wales the following Monday and Tuesday.
During the dinner, the Windies Masters expressed their gratitude to the Rockaway Group owners with a small token of appreciation—two West Indies polo shirts.
The complete West Indies squad includes: Zamin Amin (Captain), Ishwar Maraj, Terrance Romain, Sudesh Persaud, Surendra Seeraj, Anthony Sahadeo, Rajendra Sadeo, Fareed Hosein, Basil Persaud, Stephen Howell, Julian Boyce, Sudesh Dhaniram, Deonarine Deyal, Harry Narain Heeralall, Rajendra Dilraj, Kamraj Sumair, and Vejai Seonarine, with Raj Singh serving as the team manager.