After the previous billboard was struck down by a reckless driver some years ago, two new signs indicating the start and end of the Clive Lloyd Drive was on Monday unveiled by the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) in partnership with Top Brandz Distributors.
One of the signs was placed along the Rupert Craig Highway in the vicinity of the newly constructed roundabout, while the other was erected at the Sheriff Street area on the northern side of the road.
Lloyd, the West Indies most successful Test captain, is a product of DCC, referred to as the ‘Home of Legends.’ The club said the signs are geared to honour Lloyd’s contributions as a cricketer and pioneer in West Indies’ cricketing history.
At the simple unveiling ceremony on Monday, Roger Harper, president of DCC and former Guyana and West Indies cricketer and coach, spoke of Lloyd’s heroics on and off the field, particularly his matching winning century (102) against Australia in the 1975 World Cup Final.
Harper went further to magnify his former teammate’s role of captain, which he said transcended the mundane tasks of field placements and the like.
“He [Lloyd] transformed a bunch of highly talented individuals into super fit, disciplined, highly professional unit, where players understood their roles, responsibilities, and priorities as West Indies Crickets,” Harper told the small gathering who braved the rain moments before the unveiling of the signs.
He added, “I reminded you of his cricketing achievements so that those of you (who) are old enough could reflect for a minute on what Clive Lloyd’s leadership, on what his success as captain of the West Indies Team did for us West Indians, and in particular, as Guyanese.
“The son of a relatively young nation, at that time, leading West Indies Team to dominance over our colonial masters and the rest of the world.
“And for those of you who are too young to have experienced those times, I wanted you to have an appreciation of the man we honour today.”
Also present at the event was Georgetown Mayor, Patricia Chase-Green, who during her brief remarks, basked in the nostalgia of Lloyd’s contribution to cricket. Against that backdrop, she expressed her delight at being part of the act that continues to recognise the Guyanese stalwart.
