Dubai US$10,000 for WICB

ST. JOHN’S, Antigua: Shyam Bhatia, author of the book, Portraits of the Game, has donated US$10,000 to the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for the development of cricket, in particular the coaching of underprivileged children. Bhatia, a Dubai-based businessman, handed the cheque over to Michael Holding during a ceremony in the United Arab Emirates recently. Holding was chief guest at Bhatia’s annual awards, which recognises and encourages cricketers in the Emirates. Portraits of the Game is a unique limited edition coffee-table publication that is distributed free to cricket lovers, schools, clubs and libraries. The book is about the “finest moments of one-day cricket” from the year 1975 till 2000, as personally narrated by 60 great players of world cricket.

Corporations have been purchasing the book and 100 per cent of the proceeds are donated for the coaching of underprivileged children. So far, donations have been to the Dubai Cricket Council, and the cricket Boards of South Africa, West Indies, India and Pakistan. Bhatia said the basic idea behind the book was to give something back to the game “as I feel the success in my life and business has been on account of the principles of the game of cricket, which I follow in business.” In accepting the donation, WICB Chief Executive Officer Roger Brathwaite said that such a thoughtful gesture came at a time when the Board was taking the development of the game in our region into new directions. “This contribution by Mr Bhatia will be channelled in the indicated area and will be most welcome in that regard,” the CEO said.