NEW YORK – The stage is set for a fun-filled day of West Indian cricket at Idlewild Park in the borough of Queens this Saturday, to officially open the Caribbean Tourism Organisation’s (CTO) Caribbean Week in New York activities.
Back-to-back 20-over cricket matches featuring celebrity players will highlight the day’s activities which will also offer music, entertainment and Caribbean food and beverages, including some popular Caribbean specialties at concession stands.
The first game features a CTO Caribbean All-Star Team, captained by USA and Jamaica cap, Richard Staple, against an International Invitational team, led by Pakistani Amjad Khan, at 11 a.m. The second game, to be held at 3:15 p.m., will pit another CTO Caribbean All Star Team, led by Guyanese Zamin Amin, against a start-studded West Indies Celebrity Team, captained by former Barbados and West Indian pacer Joel Garner.
“The Caribbean-American community is set for a day of exciting cricket and Caribbean culture,” promised Hugh Riley, CTO’s director of marketing for the Americas, who believes the wide ranging talent which the event has attracted should help shore up the game’s popularity in the United States. Riley added that 22 cricket fans in Toronto were expected to arrive at the grounds via coach on Saturday morning.
The afternoon encounter features a mighty West Indian team captained by Garner and including Guyana’s Sew Shivnarine and Derrick Kallicharan; Suruj Ragoonath of Trinidad and Tobago; Everton Mattis of Jamaica; Grenadians Junior Murray, Dennison Thomas and Devon Smith; Dominica’s Irving Shillingford; Stephen Liburd of St. Kitts; Hendy Bryan of Barbados; St. Lucia’s Darren Sammy; Cameron Cuffy of St. Vincent; and Derrick Holliday of St. Maarten. The team will be managed by former West Indies fast bowler, Antiguan Andy Roberts.
They will take on Amin’s squad of Barbadians Henderson Blades, Patrick Harris and Alvin Howard; Jamaicans Rohan Alexander, George Adams and Rashid Marshall; Jacob Emanuel and Esnad James of St. Lucia; Guyanese Josanni Josiah and Shafeek Salim; Gregory Anthony of Grenada; and Ricky Toussaint of Trinidad and Tobago.
The first CTO Caribbean All Star Team, playing in the morning fixture, is captained by Richard Staple and includes Barbadian batsman and former
national tennis player, Hamilton Goodridge along with countryman Hubert “Stockie” Blackman; Jamaican Orlando Baker; Guyana’s Steve Massiah and Lennox Cush; Cordell Walters from Nevis; Antigua’s Foster Lewis; Trinidad and Tobago’s Glen Lorick and Jerry Jumadeen; Vincentian Carlos Roberts; and Grenadians Brian Mitchell and Mikey Alexis.
They will come up against Amjad Khan’s team which includes England’s Chris Sargeant and Joe O’Neill; Nadir Mohammed, Ishmael Khan and Mohammed Arshad of Pakistan; Indian players Akhil Khan and Arshad Hussain; Waheed Akhtar, Hunan Munir and Wahab Munir of Bangladesh; Sri Lankan Anjum Sabar. Edward Nelson and Muniwar Abassi complete the line-up.
