Media Centre could be named after ‘Reds’ next month

Oct 30, 2016 Sports

By Sean Devers

At 76, the one wish of renowned International Cricket Commentator Guyanese Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira

Joseph Reds Perriera (St Lucia Star)

is to broadcast his last match on Radio during the historic first ever day-night four-day First-Class game in Guyana when the Guyana Jaguars face Barbados Pride at Providence from December 9.
Programme Director at the State owned NCN, Ron Robinson was informed of this and said he would address the proposal.
The experienced presenter, who watched his first Test match in 1953 when West Indies opposed India, got his big break in 1959.
Two Inter-Colonial matches were being played in the then British Guiana (Guyana) at the same time, and two commentary teams were required.
“One match was at Bourda and the other at Rose Hall….I was interested in commentary and was called in by Rafik Khan of Radio Demerara and Kenny Wishart, who helped to select the Radio commentators for the cricket board. I joined Norman McLean and Claude Vieira for my first match,” said ‘Reds’, who lives in St. Lucia
Reds has described the action in close to 150 Test matches. He is the only Guyanese to commentate in three consecutive Cricket World Cups. Reds was also adviser to Sports Minister Shirley Field-Ridley in the Forbes Burnham led PNC Government.
According to hard working Director of Sports Christopher Jones, based on recent developments, the Media Centre could be named after Guyana’s most recognised Sports broadcaster while he is still alive and doing so next month during the day-night contest will be a fitting gesture for a man who has given so much in sports to this country both as a commentator and administrator.
There are many who support the idea of honouring Guyana’s most outstanding cricketers by having their names adorn stands at the Providence Stadium which are presently known as the RED, GREEN and ORANGE Stands.
There are also a few who don’t support such a proposal, among them Sports Minister Nicolette Henry who shot down the idea three months into her term of office and TV host Edwin Seeraj and Columnist at the State owned Guyana Chronicle.
Minister Henry said she did not want to spend the next five years defending the names, when asked about the naming of the stands last year.
One of Seeraj’s arguments about the naming of the Stands is that most of the names suggested never played at Providence.
But the fact that the Sir Vivian Richards Stadium in Antigua is named Richards who never played there, Brian Lara never played at Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad and Cliff Anderson never fought at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, gives that argument no merit.
The names suggested are the most outstanding Guyanese cricketers who have helped to put Guyana on the map.
Stadium name –Guyana National Stadium (every time the Stadium is mentioned Guyana would be mentioned)
Red –Clive Lloyd and Rohan Kanhai
Green – Roy Fredericks and Basil Butcher
Orange- Joe Solomon and Alvin Kallicharran
Players’ Pavilion- Shiv Chanderpaul (Guyanese with most Test runs)
Grass Mound – Carl Hooper and Ramnaresh Sarwan
Media Centre-Reds Perreira
Scoreboard-Ron Legal
Northern End-Lance Gibbs (only West Indian spinner with 300 Test Wkts)
Southern End- Colin Croft (only Guyanese pacer with 100 Test Wkts)
Practice nets-Mahendra Nagamootoo and Clayton Lambert

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