At launching of Perreira’s ‘Living My Dreams’
TORONTO, Canada – Former Guyana and West Indies captain Clive Lloyd, renowned Guyanese writer and poet Ian McDonald and former Caribbean diplomat Sir Ron Sanders were among an appreciative and impressive audience at the launching of Joseph’s ‘Reds’ Perreira’s ‘Living My Dreams’, held recently at the Windies Sports Bar here. It was an evening of nostalgia as glowing tributes were paid to the veteran Guyanese and West Indian cricket commentator who overcame an impediment to become one of the leading “voices” on the airwaves for over 30 years.
That was summed up succinctly by Lloyd who told the gathering that Reds has seen the highs and lows of West Indies cricket.
Describing the current period as the lows, Lloyd said that with the new High Performance Centre in Barbados “and I presume with proper guidance probably our cricket could get back to where it belongs.”
The ‘Super Cat’ as he was familiarly referred during his heyday as a player, was up in arms with those who felt that Twenty20 cricket would eventually replace Test cricket. “I feel 20/20 cricket is an exhibition while Test cricket is and
examination and I hope I’ll be around to see that Test cricket keeps where it is.”
Touching specifically on West Indies cricket, which he admitted is in the doldrums at the moment, Lloyd said, “Our cricketers are earning quite a lot of money and unfortunately the money seems to have taken over our game. We’re losing a bit of pride and passion but I am sure we will get the balance right.”
Acknowledging that India was the richest cricket board in the world, Lloyd pointed out that they have got the IPL which is stirring quite a lot of interest “but at the same time creating some problems for us in the West Indies.
“We have young players who are refusing to play for the West Indies and I find that very strange because cricket has given me my upward mobility and I’ll do everything I can to see that it is kept in the right manner.”
Wishing Reds all the best with his new publication, Lloyd said the lively commentator has been a great friend and colleague and someone he has respected over the years.
McDonald described the earlier launching in Guyana as a really great and emotional time and praised the “wonderful turn out in Toronto.”
Reminiscing, McDonald said he had known Reds for decades. “I remember Reds from the days when I used to play tennis and he was always a tremendous supporter and always seems to know what was going on in the tennis world.
As a matter of fact he always seems to know everything that was going on with every sport in the world.”
Describing Reds as a legend in his own lifetime, McDonald alluded to the fact that “it is true that he never played for the West Indies on the playing field but still he was a legend as a cricket commentator and also as an organiser, as a person who loves sports and would go the extra mile to help all sports ….”
In paying glowing tributes, McDonald said, “perhaps it is as a cricket commentator that Reds gained his greatest public fame but I believe his deepest and most remarkable contribution to all West Indians lies in his lifelong love and sponsorship for all sports across the region. Nobody equals him in this.
“He has demonstrated his love and pursued this sponsorship over the decades through his dedicated and indefatigable work of organisation, publicity and development in all sports that needed help and encouragement throughout the region.
“I have never known anyone who loves all sports more than Reds, who believes more strongly that his encouragement and assistance is an essential part of nation-building and I have never known anyone who has given more of themselves wholeheartedly to the appreciation of West Indies sports,” McDonald asserted.
The book, McDonald pointed out, is an inspiring tale of a person who showed tremendous courage, determination and perseverance throughout his life in his career, “overcoming a very bad stammer, overcoming a stroke later in his life, overcoming a number of obstacles on what he wanted to do in sports.
All of these things he fought through, showed courage, perseverance and determination. “Reds Perreira’s story is just not about sports, it’s about a very determined man who has contributed tremendously to West Indies sports.”
Former Guyana cricket commentator Brian Sadler listed the many accomplishments of Reds, opining that he has made an outstanding contribution to the country of his birth and continues to do so in the country of his choice – St Lucia.
Stating that himself and Reds had fond memories imitating the late great English commentator John Arlott, Sadler reminded the audience that Reds eventually had the opportunity of working with Arlott.
In his response, Reds referred to the great assistance he got from several people, among them Ron Sanders who played a great part in his covering the West Indies tour of Australia in 1975.
Reds also spoke glowingly of Lloyd, who he said showed immense class from the time he entered the West Indies side in 1967. He remembered the gangling left-hander making his debut against India when Seymour Nurse got ill on the eve of the Test match. “Clive came in and batted brilliantly against the vicious spin attack of India.”
Reds, however, declared that his greatest joy was the 1975 World Cup final. “I was a rookie, chosen by the Caribbean Broadcasting Union (CBU) along with Tony Cozier, to work with John Arlott, Brian Johnston, Freddie Truman and Trevor Bailey.
“When I came on we were 51 for three with Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran and Gordon Greenidge back in the pavilion.
“Clive Lloyd and Rohan Kanhai got together and really played a great blend of a partnership with Lloyd playing all the shots in the world and Kanhai rotating the strike admirably. The innings by Lloyd is still rated as one of the best
one-day knocks ever played.”
Reds also said it was a great privilege to see Lloyd lead the WI to their first-ever Test series win in Australia in 1979-80 and reminded those present that in spite of Fredericks’ lightning 169 at Perth, Lloyd produced a magnificent and mature century in the same innings to ensure a WI victory.
Among others present at the launching were former Jamaican and West Indies fast bowler Tom Dewdney, former Guyana businessman Frank Bettencourt and several of Reds’ family, including his wife Zandra, a former national cricket scorer in Guyana.
Already launched in Guyana, St Lucia, Barbados and Antigua, Reds assured that other launchings are planned for other Caribbean islands and he also intends to take copies to his place of birth, Pomeroon, during one of its ‘market days’ next month.