By RON FANFAIR
Two of the world's best opening batsmen have given the picturesque Toronto Cricket Club their stamp of approval as a world-class facility capable of hosting international Twenty/20 matches.
Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes, who provided many memorable moments for Caribbean cricket fans in the 89 Tests they played together in 13 years, visited the ground during their recent weekend trip to Toronto for the annual Barbados on the Water event.
"Another reason for our visit was to have a look at this ground and perhaps see how we can help the West Indies cricket Board (WICB) get involved in matches that can be played in both Canada and the United States," said Haynes, the only batsman to carry his bat three times through a completed innings in Test cricket.
"We believe it could be a good financial venture and the shortened version of the game would be quite an attraction here."
Twenty/20 cricket, which began in England two years ago, is designed to make games more exciting and attractive to fans. The 20 overs-a-side games last about three hours and have become popular in England and Australia where the first international featuring the host country's "A" team and Pakistan was played last October at the Adelaide Oval.
One of five batsmen to record a century in his 100th Test, Greenidge - his last visit to this city was in 1990 for the North American cricket series showcasing West Indies and England at the CNE stadium -- believes that the game's new version could enhance the sport's globalization and spark interest in North America.
"We can have either a Barbados Masters or West Indies Masters teams playing their Canadian counterparts, and this could be done over a week or 10 days at this arena which is fitting to host such an event," said Greenidge, who along with Haynes, registered centuries in the same Test on three occasions.
Toronto Cricket Club has hosted several first-class matches in the past decade, including the Sahara Cup series between India and Pakistan and the DMC Cup series involving India, Pakistan and the West Indies.
Haynes and Greenidge, who together opened the West Indies' innings 148 times and shared four partnerships over 200, said they want to be more involved in promoting Barbados as the destination of choice for the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007.
Barbados will host six Super Eight matches and the final
"As ex-international cricketers, we feel that we could play a major role in helping sell Barbados as the place to be during the World Cup," said Greenidge who was a member of the West Indies team that won the first World Cup in 1975 in England. "..Sometimes, we leave things for the last moment. But eventually, they get done…We hope that we would be given a significant role to play leading up to the tournament."
Greenidge, who spent seven years in England with his family before returning to Barbados in 1972, and Haynes said they have remained close friends even though their schedules do not allow them to get together as often as they would like.
Greenidge is a West Indies senior team selector while Haynes is a senator in the Barbados parliament, chairman of the National Sports Council of Barbados, a sport consultant in the Ministry of Sport and the secretary of the West Indies Players Association (WIPA).
They also suggested the WICB should consider hosting regular receptions for their former international players during home Test series. Former WICB president Pat Rousseau initiated the idea for a gala banquet in 1996 at the Jamaica Pegasus to recognize the surviving 147 cricketers who had played for the West Indies.
"It would be nice if the board could get all the former players together every year or on a regular basis during a home series," said Haynes who scored 7,487 runs (av. 42.29) in 116 Tests. "It will give us the opportunity to renew acquaintances and also interact with the young players."
"Then again, everything comes at a cost and most of the suggestions we have made have not been acted upon because of the cost factor involved."
Haynes, who was recently appointed to the newly-created Commonwealth Advisory Board on Sports, told Share he did not apply for the job to coach India's national team. Former Australian batsman Greg Chappell was selected ahead of Haynes, 1993 World Cup final Man-of-the-Match Mohinder Amarnath and Tom Moody who has since being hired to coach Sri Lanka.
"An invitation came to me to attend the interview," Haynes said. "I would love to coach because I think I have a good cricket brain and I communicate well with people. I think it will be a good thing for me besides being a job that brings me income."