TTCB – News

Carew ushered new era of T&T cricket
January 16, 2011

By ZAID MOHAMMED
Press Officer
T&T Cricket Board

MICHAEL “JOEY” CAREW was widely acknowledged as the most influential cricketer to captain the Trinidad and Tobago team who through his larger than life personality and self-confidence ushered in a new era for the sport locally.

And in the process Carew in no small way helped re-establish the claim of Trinidad and Tobago as regional champions in an era dominated by the other Caribbean territories including Barbados, Guyana and Jamaica.

Carew’s immeasurable contribution set the standard for a generation of cricketers who rose to the highest levels of the game and who were able to capitalise on the opportunities which have now catapulted the top players into a league of their own.

But Carew’s motivation to strive for excellence was shaped by the unique circumstances created by his upbringing, his strong religious beliefs and the prevailing culture of the time that placed a high value on hard work, dedication, commitment and a willingness to accept responsibility for one’s actions.

When Carew died last week at the age of 73, it brought an end to a magnificent innings off the field that mirrored his career firstly as a player of a high calibre, a leader of exceptional quality and later as an administrator of uncanny insight and acumen that was sometimes bewildering.

His exacting standards were legendary among the players fortunate to have played under him earned his the nickname “Blade of Grass” for his insistence on getting his fielders on the precise spot that he wanted on the field of play.

Carew was also admired for his shrewd captaincy which was informed by a database of the strength and weaknesses of all players he kept in his head especially on the regional level.

Like no other captain in living memory Carew was able to plan, initiate and execute the downfall of opposing team like no other which firmly placed him among the list of players who changed the face of the game by injecting guile and intelligence into their armoury alongside batting, bowling and fielding.

His tactics were seen as revolutionary and he was not afraid to employ what he thought was the best strategy to gain successful results emboldened by a self-confidence seldom put on display in regional cricket.

Among his contemporaries, Carew stood out for his bold and enterprising manner which was to later manifest itself when he became a regional selector spanning a period of 20 years.

Under his watch West Indies emerged the leading Test playing team in the world as Carew oversaw the development of some of the best players in the world as his keen eye and penchant for taking a gamble on promising talent paid rich dividends.

During a period when the West Indies was awash with tremendous cricket resources, Carew showed how this seemingly limitless well could be best managed which now stands testimony as the greatest period of regional dominance in any sphere of Caribbean life.

More than anyone else Carew appreciated the power of cricket to affect and change people’s lives in a positive way and he worked up to his last days trying to impart whatever knowledge he thought was necessary to help young players improve.

He was an invaluable member of the Queen’s Park Cricket Club and hardly turned anyone away wishing to impose on his time for a word of advice or some other matter that he could assist with.

Away from cricket Carew also held the sport of horseracing dear to his heart and when not at the Oval he could be found at Santa Rosa Park in Arima indulging in his passion for the Sport of Kings.

Carew always exuded a picture of calm and rationality that belied his fierce competitive nature, a characteristic he mined to the fullest for the glory of the game of cricket. May he rest in peace.