KINGSTOWN, St Vincent, (CMC) – LEGENDARY West Indies cricket captain, Sir Clive Lloyd, on Monday, made an impassioned plea for the region to come together in an effort to save West Indies cricket.

Sir Clive was visibly moved to tears during an emotional tribute at the Emancipation Cricket Festival in St Vincent and the Grenadines, where he and other members of the West Indies’ 1975 World Cup-winning team were honoured.

Speaking at a packed luncheon hosted by Prime Minister Dr Ralph Gonsalves, the 80-year-old Sir Clive struggled to hold back tears as he addressed senior national officials, dignitaries, former teammates, local cricket officials, and Vincentians.

“We made our West Indians walk tall wherever they were, and we should continue to do so if we can only tell these young men the importance of cricket in our lives. Where would we have been without cricket? To me cricket has given me upward mobility and done a lot for people who have worked to see this game grow. We cannot let it die. We must save West Indies cricket,” Sir Clive said.

“We must do everything to save West Indies cricket. This is our institution, and it is what we helped to build. We gave all we had to bring glory to the people of the West Indies. This is about our cricket and our people … because I love this game, and I love my people.”

The event marked the culmination of a weeklong celebration of Caribbean cricket heritage.
With the passage of a special Citizenship Bill, Sir Clive and the other 11 surviving teammates from the 1975 squad were granted Vincentian citizenship.
Dr Gonsalves, who spearheaded the initiative, paid glowing tribute to the World Cup winners during his remarks, calling Sir Clive “one of the greatest leaders in the history of sport, not just cricket.”

The Prime Minister noted that Sir Clive’s captaincy had elevated the West Indies not only to a sporting power, but also to a symbol of post-colonial pride.
The emotion of the day was amplified by the unveiling of the renamed “Legends Stand” at the Arnos Vale Stadium, where members of the team were honoured with framed postage stamps.
Deryck Murray, vice-captain of the team and a former Trinidad and Tobago diplomat, who was also present for the events, thanked Dr Gonsalves.
“I am proud to stand beside my teammates again … my brothers.

“We did a great job back then and we remain together to this day. This shows what unity and purpose can achieve,” Murray said.
“To have a stand named in our honour and to be recognised in this way as was done here in St Vincent is hugely significant and I want to thank the Prime Minister,” he said.