SOME of the biggest, most exciting names in West Indies cricket history are set to pad up on Saturday for a charity cricket match that will be played in Barbados and carried live on Flow Sports.
The Rally Round West Indies Twenty20 Cricket Hurricane Irma/Maria Relief Benefit Match is being played at the 3W’s Oval from 8:00 p.m. today, with the likes of Sir Curtly Ambrose, Sir Richie Richardson, David Rudder, RamnareshSarwan, Daren Ganga, Tino Best, Dwayne Smith and Yohan Blake involved.
The game, a combined fundraising effort between the University of the West Indies and Cricket West Indies, will be carried live in Saint Lucia and 17 other Caribbean territories on Flow Sports (channel 290 in Saint Lucia).
“This event is really consistent with a long tradition of the Caribbean coming together to take responsibility for each other in circumstances of adversity as we have a culture and tradition of solidarity in this region,” said University of the West Indies Vice Chancellor, Sir Hilary Beckles. “This event is designed and conceptualised to let our communities in Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, and Anguilla know that we are thinking of them. This is a moment of healing because the Caribbean community is coming together to send messages of solidarity and what binds us together in the area of culture is the sport of cricket as all of us have participated in building this culture.”
Sir Hilary will be playing alongside Franklyn Rose, former English cricketer Philip Defreitas, world champion sprinter Blake, Sulieman Benn, Fidel Edwards, and more. Rudder will perform his “Rally ’Round The West Indies” anthem ahead of the match, profits from which will raise much-needed funds for the reconstruction of schools and hospitals in hurricane-ravaged Dominica and Barbuda.
Since the passage of deadly storms Irma and Maria in recent months, the Caribbean has been pulling together to support the affected nations. Liberty Global, the parent company of Cable & Wireless Caribbean (CWC)/ Flow, has mobilised to provide free wireless internet to Puerto Rico. The Cable & Wireless Charitable Foundation has generated over US$1million in relief funding.
Sponsors Sagicor Group have pledged US$100,000 to Saturday’s charity match.