Cricket West Indies (CWI) has congratulated West Indies
cricket legends on recently being awarded honorary
doctorates from the University of the West Indies (UWI).
The trio – Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Gordon Greenidge and Desmond
Haynes – received Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees in recent
ceremonies. Sir Andy was honored by the UWI Five Islands Campus
in Antigua, while Sir Gordon and Haynes received theirs from the
UWI Cave Hill Campus in Barbados.
“I felt that it was an honour, and you know, I appreciate anything
that is given to me because of my contribution towards the game of
cricket and towards the development of Antigua and Barbuda,” Sir
Andy said.
During a brief ceremony in Antigua, the CWI as well as the Board
of Directors and staff of Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) recently
presented Sir Andy with a token of appreciation. The presentation of
the special hamper was made by Enoch Lewis a Director of CWI, and
Nelecia Yeates, General Manager of CCG.
All three are members of the ICC Hall of Fame. They formed part
of the formidable West Indies team which dominated world cricket
in the 1970s and 1980s. Sir Andy and Sir Gordon were members of
the 1975 and 1979 World Cup-winning teams, while Haynes was a
member of the 1979 team.
Greenidge and Haynes formed the most successful opening batting
combination in the history of international cricket. Sir Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge
was one of the most successful opening batsmen of the game, averaging 44.72 in
Tests, largely in partnership with Sir Desmond Haynes, who averaged 42.29 in the
same format. No other opening pair has scored as many runs together in international
cricket.
Universally regarded and acknowledged as the “father’ of modern day post 1970’s
West Indian fast bowling the Antigua-born Sir Andy captured 202 wickets at a 25.61
average in his 47 Test appearances. He took seven wickets twice in a Test innings
as part of his 11 five wickets hauls overall. As the first Antiguan to ever play Test
cricket for the West Indies, Sir Andy lead the way for many of his famous countrymen
including Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Richie Richardson and Sir Curtly Ambrose to follow,
In October 2005, Sir Andy was inducted into the United States Cricket Hall of Fame,
while in 2009, he was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. He was appointed
a Knight Commander of the Order of the Nation (KCN) by the Antiguan Barbudan
government on 28 February 2014.
CWI Congratulates Legends!
