Profile – Joe Solomon

The West Indian . Sep 07, 2019 . Page 42 www.thewestindianonline.com PROFILE of The Week By Dr. DHANPAUL NARINE Joe Solomon at 90! It is Brisbane in 1960 and West is etched forever in Guyana in 1956. He was on Australia in 1959-60. What is wrong Indies are playing Australia in the cricket history. Joe was a reliable batsman and One of the highlights of with West Indies born in a working class an economical bowler. A the Australian tour was cricket? Joe has fi rst Test. Don Bradman meets family in Port Mourant, number of outstanding the captaincy of Frank strong views that Australian skipper Richie Benaud. in Berbice, Guyana. He performances, including Worrell. Joe says that it the administration Cricket needs excitement. Benaud was the third of fi ve three centuries, ensured was ‘Frank’s tour.’ He needs to hear. He children. His mom was says, ‘selection promises an Australian victory. The Marian and his dad policies have to be Test enters the last day; Australia was John Solomon. fair and should be needs 233 runs to win. The excite- Both parents were from based on a play- ment is fever pitch. Enmore, in Guyana. Joe er’s performance. attended Port Mourant The selectors do Joe Solomon is players, including R.C. School and his best not want to be fi elding at midwick- Frank Worrell, think subjects were reading accused of racism et. He runs out Alan that we won. But it is a and gardening. or unfair practices. Davidson and Austra- tie. Richie Benaud and How did he get into The players too lia has three wickets Frank Worrell leave the cricket? There were have to look at and six minutes to get fi eld with their arms two clubs, the Port themselves. No the runs. Wesley Hall around each other. The Mourant Cricket Club one wants to play bowls the fi nal over. fans go wild and the and the Spoilers; Joe the long innings. Each delivery cre- press people are all over played for Port Mou- They don’t seem ates drama. Conrad us. Don Bradman is all rant. There were Dr. to have pride in Hunte runs out Wally smiles. He asked for Appadu, Oscar Naidoo, playing for their Grout. Hall bumps excitement but not even Compton Bovell, Fitz, country. The T20’s into Kanhai and a he could have predicted Assad Khan, and others, are uppermost on catch is spilled. their minds; it’s The scores are a bad infl uence. level with one As we know, Test ball remaining cricket is the real and one wicket test and those to fall. Hall runs beautiful stadiums in at full throttle. are empty.’ Meckiff touches Joe spent many the ball and runs; years coaching the delirious young cricketers crowd hopes for and he was instru- an Australian vic- mental in the de- tory. But there is velopment of Al- Solomon again. vin Kallicharran, He swoops on the Shivnarine ball. What is he Chanderpaul, and thinking? Joe Solomon at 90 years young. He is a legend, a others. Joe rates ‘I am side-on gentleman, and a role model for all aspiring cricketers Alan Davidson and have only and Subash Gupte one stump to that he was selected instilled confi dence in as the best bowlers aim at,’ he says. to the tour of India in the players and was a he faced. His top ‘I ran out Alan 1958-9. West Indies statesman. batsmen are Rohan Davidson min- won that series 3-0. West Indies toured Kanhai, Garfi eld utes earlier but India changed four cap- England in 1963 and Sobers and Norman this is diff erent. tains and their defeats won the series. Wes O’Neill. Joe plays If I miss they were even discussed in Hall and Charlie Grif- golf and does garden- will win. The the Lok Sabha, India’s fi th destroyed England ing these days. He is Test match rests parliament. In the fi nal with pace while Hunte, grateful for a long life on my throw. I Test in Delhi, Joe scored Sobers, Kanhai and and he fi nds comfort practiced pelt- AN ICONIC MOMENT: Joe Solomon poses with the the photo- an undefeated maiden Butcher and Seymour in Psalm 23: ‘the ing mangoes in graph that shows him running out Ian Meckiff to secure the century. The series also Nurse did well. When Lord is my shepherd; Guyana and I am fi rst tied Test in cricket, at Brisbane in 1960. saw the emergence of West Indies toured En- I shall not want.’ pretty confi dent. Kanhai, Sobers, Butch- gland in 1966, Joe was Joe’s life is well I grab the ball, look this result.’ that played at the time. er, Hall and Hunte as called up but was not lived. His pure heart at the stumps, and in The tied Test gave Joe was an all-rounder. future stars. It must selected to play. Worrell brought joy to mil- one motion I throw. cricket the tonic it need- He opened the bowling be remembered that in advised him to focus on lions and he remains The ball hit the ed. The rest of the tour and batted lower down those days, in India, his job. Joe played in 27 a gentleman. He stumps and Meckiff saw big crowds with the order. The other Test cricket was played Tests and is grateful for thanks many for their is run out.’ It was a then world record at members of Joe’s team on matting that helped the opportunity to serve love and support, the fi rst tie in Test the Melbourne Cricket were Rohan Kanhai and the spinners, but Kan- his country. cricket. What was Ground. West Indies Basil Butcher, the latter hai tamed Gupte with a Joe credits Worrell especially his wife the reaction of the conquered the hearts and lived next to the cricket magnifi cent 256. for turning West Indies Betty who was the players? imagination of Australia ground. After India, it was off cricket around. The team rock in his life. As he Solomon says, and a trophy was dedi- Joe did well in the to Pakistan where Joe did well for many years, looks forward to an- ‘Rohan Kanhai and cated to Frank Worrell. Davson’s Cup and top scored in the second under Lloyd and Rich- other century, Joe has Gary Sobers jump When the team left for was picked for the innings of the fi rst Test ards. But West Indies is played a great innings in the air. Wes Hall home, thousands lined inter-county games. in Karachi. He made not winning. In fact, its fi lled with memorable stands with his the streets to bid them He was the captain of 66. West Indies lost the performance has been encounters. shirtsleeves fl apping goodbye, with Worrell Berbice. After doing series 2-1 to Pakistan abysmal, losing recently We wish him and and shakes his head leading the parade. well in the trials, Joe but left the subcontinent to India with hardly a his family all the in disbelief. Some Joe Solomon’s name was selected to play for with confi dence to take fi ght. best in the future. .

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