Desmond Lewis: Cricketer extraordinaire

The Editor, Sir:

I wish to pay tribute to Desmond Lewis, former West Indies player, who passed away in Atlanta, Georgia, on Saturday, March 24. Lewis came from a humble background and through good values and attitude, became an outstanding cricketer and gentleman.

He was a member of All Saints Youth Club in Jones Town and lifted so many in the community when he made the West Indies team. Lewis would ride his bicycle and distribute a famous sports magazine. Afterwards, he would journey to Kensington Cricket Club and spend the entire afternoon honing his skills at batting and wicketkeeping.

He was selected for Jamaica and performed credibly and caught the eyes of the West Indies selectors. He replaced Findley in the last three Tests against India in 1971. He averaged 86.33 with the bat, and saw eight dismissals at stumps. Would you believe that for the next West Indies series, he was dropped and replaced with the same player he had displaced?

Easily, one of the worst selection blunders in West Indies cricket which was noted in Beyond the Boundary.

Lewis did not allow the disappointment to consume him, as he said that his father told him there was enough bitterness in the world.

Karl Goodison