2014 Cricket Hall of Fame | Photo Gallery
By Stan Walker
Former star West Indies fast bowler Colin E. H. Croft became the 100th candidate to be inducted into the Cricket Hall of Fame in ceremonies held on Saturday, October 4, at the Hilton Hotel in downtown Hartford, Connecticut.
Colin Croft, left, is presented with Induction Certificate by Cricket Hall of Fame’s director Michael chambers. Photos by John Aaron
A part of the potent West Indian quartet of fast bowlers from the late 70s and early 80s, Croft who served a relatively brief career lasting just five years, in expressing his thanks and appreciation for his inclusion into the Hall of Fame said that to be nominated as the No. 100 inductee is indeed quite special. The weekend that I spent in Hartford was quite surprising, enjoyable and eye-opening, he said.
Now a well respected commentator of the game, Croft, who hails from Guyana, related some of his happy experiences while playing and the love that he has for the game. “Cricket has done a lot for me,” he said. “It has given me the opportunity to travel all over the world, meet a lot of people and to learn about their culture.”
Croft, who now lives in Florida, said cricket in the U.S. is at a crossroads. It is too parochial. Personalities and politics are holding back the game in this country. You can’t have progress if you do not get rid of personalities. “We need to mix more with the Americans at all levels whether they are our off-springs or not and teach them about the Caribbean and our way of life,” he said.
A former teacher, Croft said that sports are a good way to help youngsters get a good education. “If we want the game to become one of the top sports in this country, we must take it into the schools. The youngsters need help and we have to help with their development to let them get to understand where they are.”
Lauderhill, Florida mayor, Richard Kaplan receives his Induction Certificate from Shirley Matthews.
Before concluding his remarks he praised Lauderhill, Florida mayor, Richard Kaplan, another inductee for what he has done for cricket in the U.S. Known as the evangelist for cricket in the U.S., Mayor Kaplan was directly involved in the creation of the first and only accredited International Cricket Council (ICC) field and stadium in the U.S.
In his response after his induction, Mayor Kaplan told the gathering about the challenges that he had to overcome to get the stadium built and the let down that he has experienced since then from the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) and the United States of America Cricket Association (USACA) in their efforts to host international games at the stadium. “We need to develop the game at an international level here in this country in order to get it to move forward,” he said.
Former captain and assistant coach of the West Indies women’s cricket team Stephanie Power another inductee thanked the Hall for the honor and expressed the satisfaction and the enjoyment that she had when playing for the team. However, Power, a Trinidadian, who has ambitions of becoming a selector, said that there is need for some changes in the way in which the team is put together. “We need to have at least one woman involved at the administrative level of the team,” she said.
Hall-of-Fame inductee Orville Hall receiving his citations from Lloyd Dixon while president Shirley Matthews looks on.
All the other inductees, former Pakistani all-rounder Mansoor Akhtar, Orville Hall, former manager of the U.S. senior team, Joyce Trotman-Harmon, first female president in the New York region, Paul Hensley, president of the CC Morris Cricket Library and 85-year-old Emmanuel Lewis, who is still playing the game, expressed how proud they were to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.
Two other individuals Lt. Michael S. Manson of the Hartford Police Department and Dr. Patrick Dallas of the Kingston College Old Boys Association were presented with appreciation certificates. Lt. Manson was recognized for the work that he has done with the cricketers who play in Keney Park and Dr. Dallas for his role in the recent installation of lights at one of the top cricket fields in the Caribbean, Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica.
Prior to the ceremonies the inductees were hosted by both Governor Dannel Malloy and Hartford’s mayor Pedro Segarra at the capital state building and city hall. They both expressed their satisfaction of being able to meet the inductees and congratulated them on their accomplishments.