Dean: Keep Cricket Clean

Dean emeritus Harold Crichlow made three pleas to the cricketing world yesterday. To cricketers he beseeched: Save us from being so disappointed, having our lives messed up because of match-fixing. [Play] with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth.

To the cricketing authorities, he begged: Deal harshly with those found guilty of match fixing.

And to local and regional cricket fans, players and authorities on the topic of Brian Lara, he urged: He needs help, not condemnation.

The Dean made his requests during the funeral service of Othneil Hitler Downes, a former Barbados fast bowler and National Sports Council cricket coach.

Describing cricket as an important part of Caribbean life, he said people put much of their lives into games and spent as much as five days watching a Test match.

Cricket, next to religion, is the passion of the West Indies and most of all Barbadians, and in the passing of cricketers, our sympathies go out even more than when others die, he said.

In addition, he said people with heart problems should not watch certain matches for fear of getting heart attacks. It would therefore be a great disappointment for people to learn that the results of games were influenced by match-fixing, he added.

Crichlow appealed to sportsmen to ensure the results of games were genuine.

Sometimes you are offered large sums of money, and I know it is not easy to resist, but for the sake of the game I hope we would keep West Indian cricket clean. When we watch a match, it should be genuine cricket, he pleaded.

The cleric then turned to Brian Lara, whom he said needed help in dealing with adulation from fans.

He needs help, he doesn't need our condemnation. He has been crying out for years.

It is not easy to be admired by millions all over the world. Human beings are not made for such adulation . . . and most of the stars end up committing suicide.

He also said a genius like Lara should be allowed to be eccentric and other cricketers should not expect to do the things that Lara did.

He referred to Sir Garry Sobers, whom he said could fete all night and returned to the cricket field next day and perform admirable.

Only geniuses can do that, and none of us are not geniuses.

But with the help of people like Dr. Rudi Webster, Reverend Wes Hall and Sir Vivian Richards, he said, Lara should come around.