The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : WI to honour its heroes

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Saturday, Feb 24, 2007
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WI to honour its heroes

Port of Spain (Trinidad): West Indies' 18 surviving members of the 1975 and 1979 World Cup winning teams are to be honoured during the coming edition of the quadrennial event in the Caribbean in March-April.

``I'm very elated that they've recognised what we've done and I'm sure all the (former) players are happy about this honour,'' Clive Lloyd, who led the team to victory on both the occasions and then to the final in 1983, said.

``Winning the first two World Cups and reaching three straight finals has left an indelible mark on our lives.

``Our cricket took off after the first victory in 1975. We realised that we had the talent and discipline to excel internationally.''

The former greats will be honoured at a ceremony before the start of the opening game between the host and Pakistan in Jamaica on March 13.

Sir Vivian Richards, man of the match in the 1979 final, is equally thrilled about the prospects of being honoured in front of home fans.

``It's a wonderful tribute to the individuals who played and won the first World Cup and who repeated the feat four years later,'' he said.

``It's great for those of us who are still living to be part of the World Cup being staged in the region and to have these achievements of past players highlighted to those who weren't around at that time.''

Maurice Foster, an all-rounder in the 1975 squad, said he was particularly pleased to have an opportunity to make up for the fact that he had no memorabilia of past success.

Desmond Haynes said it was ``always nice to be recognised'' and added the honour had been perfectly timed.

``I believe we deserve (having) the Cricket World Cup (in the Caribbean) and it ties back in with the teams that played in 1975 and 1979. The West Indies players brought so much joy to the cricketing world the way they played cricket back then,'' said the former opener.

Larry Gomes, a solid middle-order batsman, is also among the World Cup heroes invited to the Sabina Park celebration. — PTI

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