Last Wednesday, at the culmination of the 46th Meeting of the Conference of Caricom Heads of Government, it was announced that Guyanese and West Indian Cricket legend Sir Clive Lloyd will be receiving Caricom’s highest honour, the Order of the Caribbean Community (OCC).
Now citing some of the successes that West Indies accomplished under his stewardship, Sir Clive has expressed that receiving the award, which will be presented to him at the next Caricom Heads of Government meeting in July, is something to be proud of.
He made these remarks at the recent ‘A Day with Legends’ activity, wherein he and other members of the 1983 Shell Shield and Geddes Grant/Harrison Line Cup championship team were honoured.
“I think you feel proud that your people have, you know, given you an award for services rendered, and I think we made the West Indies feel proud,” the two-time 50- Over World Cup-winning Captain of 1975 and 1979 said.
He went on to enlighten about the team’s accomplishments during his tenure as captain, “We have some records that I do not think will be broken, it will take some time. 39 Test matches without losing one, 11 straight successive wins; and if you’re 17 years old, you would not have seen the West Indies lose. And we’re only 5 million people, 14 islands, we’re not one country like Australia or India or Pakistan, we’re 14 islands; and to get those guys together to do such a marvellous job is something to be proud of.”
Sir Clive Lloyd was knighted back in 2022
Speaking later at the same event, President Dr. Irfaan Ali beamed with pride as he congratulated Lloyd on the award, the consideration of which was set in motion by none other than President Ali himself.
“I was most honoured, Sir Clive Lloyd, to be the one proposing your name for sure,” The Head of State shared at the Everest Cricket Club (ECC) Ground on Carifesta Avenue last Sunday.
“You deserve it, and you should have had it a very long time ago. So, we’re very proud of you and we congratulate you.”
Sir Clive is considered one of the most successful Test captains in the history of West Indies Cricket, having captained the West Indies Team between 1974 and 1985. Sir Clive was named a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1971, and was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2009. Back in 2022, the West Indies Legend was finally knighted after the ceremony had been delayed owing to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sir Clive is set to receive the OCC award in July in Grenada, where the next Caricom Heads of Government meeting is scheduled.
