Voice of cricket goes beyond the boundary

Former cricket announcer Ramsubhag “Sobie” Maharaj died on Tuesday evening at his  Barrackpore home after battling a massive stroke for nearly two years. The 63-year-old became known as “the voice of Trinidad and Tobago’s cricket” with his regular announcing stints for the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board of Control (TTCBC). At all major regional and Test matches, the former educator was the house announcer after taking  a keen liking to the game. “Sobie” as he was affectionately called was a live-wire in the press box, where he entertained sometimes bored journalists with his never ending servings of cricket stories and jokes.

He was a strong supporter of West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago cricket and loved the game to the extent that he would be viewing one match while monitoring another on radio at the same time. “Sobie” was the official statistician of the South East Zonal Council and was the national scorer for a few years as well. His nephew councillor Sharma Basdeo, said “Sobie” was very unhappy with the fact that he couldn’t come down to the cricket ground after suffering a stroke. Sharma however said that he had his radio with him all the time listening to the commentary. ‘Sobie” served as secretary of the Southeast and South Zone Umpires Council and was a former wicketkeeper/opening batsman for Yorkshire Cricket Club. He was a career teacher and retired principal of the Lengua Presbyterian School.

Chairman of the South East Zonal Cricket Council Azim Bassarath said yesterday “Sobie” was a great supporter of South East cricket and will be sorely missed. “He was a walking encyclopaedia on the game of cricket and it was a pleasure to have known and work with him,” Bassarath said. “Sobie” will be cremated today at the Shore of Peace, Mosquito Creek following a funeral service at his home on Jaipaulsingh Road in Barrackpore at 10.30 am. He leaves to mourn his wife Linda and son Lyndon.