Bridgetown, July 29: The Test team from Barbados will return home to attend the state funeral of the legendary all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers.
The funeral is set to take place on Wednesday at Kensington Oval.
With the support of the Barbados government, the team is returning shortly after their impressive 90-run victory at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Tarouba. West Indies captain Roston Chase and limited-overs captain Shai Hope will be present at Sobers’ funeral.
In addition to Chase and Hope, vice-captain Jomel Warrican, Justin Greaves, Kemar Roach, Joshua Bishop, and assistant coach Floyd Reifer will also attend. They will be joined by a high-level delegation from Cricket West Indies (CWI), led by Chairman Dr. Kishore Shallow and CEO Johnny Grave.
Dr. Shallow stated, “For our representatives from Barbados to attend the state funeral of ‘The Right Excellent Sir Garfield Sobers’ is significant for West Indies cricket. On the same day that the cricketing world celebrates his extraordinary life, the team will honor his remarkable contributions that showcased courage and skill, inspiring generations.”
He added, “We are very grateful to Mia Amor Mottley and her government for making this possible. We reaffirm our commitment to cherishing the memories of a true icon, whose name will always symbolize the greatness of West Indies cricket.”
CWI directors Enok Lewis (President of the Leeward Islands Cricket Board), Bissoondyal Singh (President of the Guyana Cricket Board), and Clement Marcelin (President of the Windward Islands Cricket Board) will also be in attendance at Sobers’ funeral.
Recognized as one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, Sobers passed away on July 17 at the age of 89 at his home in Highgate Gardens. His funeral will be held with state honors at 10:00 AM local time at Kensington. Prominent leaders and legendary West Indies players, including Sir Clive Lloyd, Sir Vivian Richards, Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Richie Richardson, and Brian Lara, are expected to attend. Two days before the funeral, Sobers’ body was displayed at the Parliament building before being taken to the stadium.