Sarwan retires from cricket at Alma mater

Sep 16, 2016 Sports

---

Stella Marris Primary gives cricketer hero’s welcome
Yesterday at the Stella Marris Primary school in Woolford Avenue, former Guyana and West Indies Captain Ramnaresh Sarwan’s career came full circle as it ended where it all began 26 years ago with the announcement

of his retirement from all cricket.
Clad in black, the 36-year was given a hero’s welcome when he arrived at a school where he scored his first two centuries in the now defunct National Under-12 competition in 1991 as an 11 year-old and later ascended to the highest level of the game in which he scored 15 centuries from 87 Tests.
With the star struck children, who chanted ‘Sarwan, Sarwan’, lining the passageway to the Hall where the ceremony was held, Sarwan was escorted by one of the ‘teachers who seemed just as excited as the students. Sarwan, who was born in Wakenaam, received a garland from one of the students.
The event was organised by another former Student, Cricket commentator Sean Devers and Deputy Head Mistress of Stella Marris Mrs. Singh. The programme, well attended by the media, began with a prayer from Miss Williams and after the National Pledge was recited Mrs. Singh gave the welcoming remarks while Grade six pupils provided an Acrostic and displayed the letters of Sarwan’s name.
Past Headmistress Mrs. Arthur was in charge when Sarwan was a student and remembered her encounters with the ‘Cricket crazy’ pre-teen. She said that the school was proud to have produced someone who excelled at the highest level in their career.
Surendra Khayyam was Sarwan’s Vice-Captain when Stella Marris beat Enterprise Primary in the final at Bourda to take the then Prime Minister Hamilton Greene Trophy in 1991. Sarwan was visibly surprised to be united with Khayyam who rolled back the years to when the pair were care free little boys with cricket being their common interest.

”Sarwan always loved cricket. I remember when he was just 10 he was first picked for Stella Marris. He was in third standard and got the man-of-the-match award, making 49 in the final at Eve Leary. But the next year when it was all Sarwan, Sarwan, Sarwan…when would say what we wanted to be when we grew up Sarwan would say he wanted to play cricket for Guyana and the West Indies and he actually lived his dreams” Khayyam recounted.
Khayyam challenged Director of Sports Christopher Jones to bring back U-12 hard ball cricket since he felt U-15 school tournaments meant no hard ball cricket at Primary school. The Grade Five students sang a harmonious rendition of their school song before Deputy Education Officer (DEO) Adrian Elgin spoke of Sarwan’s first Test match in Barbados when he made an unbeaten 84 and how Stella Marris not only produced academics.
He said that Mrs. Singh was doing a wonderful job and it was people like Sarwan who inspired many more little ‘Sarwans’ to blossom into greatness. “Sarwan is also an Entrepreneur which demonstrates his ability to continue earning after cricket and it proves that once you balance academics and sports you will become a balanced individual,” Elgin added.
Jones promised to work on the return of U-12 cricket and reminded that Sarwan, his schoolmate at Secondary School, was a member of the NSC.
”Sarwan is helping to prepare a program for the reintroduction of U-12 school’s cricket as a member of the NSC. Each member is paid a monthly sum but Sarwan does not collect his salary but instead intends to donate the money when it accumulates to help the cost of youngsters selected to represent Guyana overseas,” Jones said.
Sarwan cut his retirement cake with little Crystal Spencer and presented an autographed bat and Scotia Bank Kiddies gear and shirts to the School’s Kiddies cricket team while Well-J and Coke soft drinks along with Aqua Mist water was donated by Banks DIH Ltd.
Sarwan said that he knew that his retirement had to happen sometime and felt it was fitting to do it where all started with the help of the late Mr Headly and Miss Carolyn. He said Headly, who was the caretaker at the school, was also an Umpire and after seeing him bat for 10 minutes called the late William Jeffery to inform him that he had found someone.
”Mr Jeffery took me to GCC where Desmond ‘Wato’ Watkins, Harold Dhanraj and Richard Jodah helped me with my cricket. Carl Hooper saw me at GCC when I was 14 and told that I would play Test cricket. That inspired me to really train and work hard and here I am today” said Sarwan,
The classy right-hander was high in praise for his U-19 Manager Pat Legall for the role he played in his cricket development but credited Roger Harper for playing the biggest role from age 17-23.
”When I made the Guyana team at 15 my roommate was Keith Semple. I was being peppered by the pacers since I was a little boy from Wakenaam and I was intimidated by guys who big and tall and did not do well. I was batting well in practice but I was afraid to play shots in the games. Semple said I should bat the way I batted in the nets and I started to do that” Sarwan disclosed.
He also thanked his fans and team mate for their support and said he hoped he provided some entertainment for them and thanked Mrs. Singh and the Ministry for making the school available. (Sean Devers)

---

---