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Vibert Conrad, an umpire with a strong passion for the game
Vibert Conrad
By Rawle Welch
After picking up a career best 7-10 against Transport Sports Club in a Frank Cup game, medium pacer Vibert Conrad, who represented Fogarty’s Sports Club in those days, mused over that outstanding performance during an interview with Kaieteur Sport yesterday.
Conrad, who is back home on holiday and is expected to celebrate his 70th birthday anniversary on December 31 said that after the match many of his more seasoned and experienced counterparts expressed sentiments such as “it is the worst thing to play against little boys”.
“At that time I used to swing the ball both ways with my medium pace bowling and that was extremely effective in getting batsmen such as Carlton Reece, Joe Mingo and Kaiser Bazil back in the pavilion,” Conrad disclosed.
Conrad, who migrated to the United States in 1968 where he has lived ever since is an accredited WICB umpire with over 28 years in the New York District and has done stints in countries such as England, Canada, US Virgin Islands and Bermuda, becoming one of the most respected official in the United States Cricket Umpires Association.
The aging umpire suffered a stroke recently, but expressed eagerness to return to the middle at the start of the new season, stating that upon his return he will be undergoing a rigid fitness regimen to get back into shape for the occasion.
He added that even though his long involvement in the sport has been at the officiating level, as a young boy his vision was to become a cricketer, but all that changed when he moved to America.
“I used to go to the cricket grounds over there and it was always a problem of getting persons to umpire the match, many times I was chosen to do so due to my vast experience of the game and it was then that my interest was stirred into becoming an umpire,” Conrad informed.
He said he then decided to write the WICB Umpires examinations and is now an accredited umpire, within the North America Diaspora.
Conrad has officiated in games in Guyana during the Sunrise Cricket Club tour and recalled doing a game that featured former and current West Indies players Alvin Kallicharran and Shivnarine Chanderpaul at Skeldon in 1992.
Among the other players of note who he has taken the field with include the late Colin Wiltshire, Clive Lloyd, Norman McLean and may other outstanding local cricketers.
Quizzed on the state of the game in the USA, Conrad related that it was growing at a rapid pace, but felt that there is urgent need for the respective representatives to come together and advocate as one Body instead of going it unilaterally.
“Cricket is now being played at the school level and there is where I do a lot of work and I really enjoy it,” he pointed out.
He reckoned that even though it is still a minority sport in the USA, played mainly by citizens of the Caribbean, Pakistan, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, the standard is getting high and this includes umpiring as well.
Accompanied by his wife Jacqueline, who surprisingly seemed very informed about his career, Conrad indicated that next year could very well be his last, before he calls it a day.
“I umpired my last match in July this year, before falling ill, but I’m hoping to return in April.”
Conrad in closing, extended gratitude to two individuals, Mohamed Baksh and Steve Kalloo who according to him were instrumental in nurturing his career to become a successful umpire.
“They were extremely important to me.”
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