Windies stars charm fans

APPROXIMATELY 500 Trinidadians got up front and personal with a quartet of West Indies cricketers yesterday at a meet the players autograph session sponsored by team sponsors Digicel.

Held at the Adam Smith Park the event attracted men, women, students, babies and even grandmothers.

Windies cricketers Chris Gayle, Jerome Taylor, Dwayne Bravo and Ramnaresh Sarwan, fresh from their latest victory over India in St Kitts/Nevis charmed their fans as they signed photographs, balls, fans and other cricketing paraphernalia.

Master of ceremonies Gayelle television personality Errol Fabian, kept the crowd amused as he welcomed fans and touted the players: “No signing of body parts,” he said occasionally.

A group of about 40 young cricketers from the Digicel sponsored Harvard Cricket Nursery also got close to their cricketing heroes. Students of Queen’s Royal College, the boys said they were big fans of the West Indian team and hoped to make the team in the future.

The early skills of West Indies captain, Brian Lara were spawned at that nursery.

The boys, are also members of the Trinidad and Tobago Under-19 team are excited at the prospect of going to St Vincent in August where they will be playing a number of matches against four other countries.

“You guys (Digicel) are sending us there,” they said with glee.

Marita Laurent, Digicel’s Sponsorship and Promotions Manager confirms that Digicel currently supports the nursery and a part of the funding provided is being used to facilitate the trip in August.

“This is the first time that they will be able to travel abroad in about three years,” she said.

According to Rajiv Sewsarran, a fourth former at QRC, his favourite cricketer is Ramnaresh Sarwan whom he admires for his batting skills.

Sewsarran, budding batsman says he hopes to play for the West Indies team in the future.

Louise Finnegan, Digicel Group Head of Sponsorship said that this autograph session is a part of a wider programme to bring fans closer to the games and their cricketers. Since the beginning of Home Series 2006, we have had such sessions in Guyana and St Lucia and more scheduled to take place in Antigua, Jamaica, St Kitts/Nevis,” she said.

“From the outset Digicel recognised the passion of West Indian cricket fans. Our goal is to enhance their experience as cricket is one commonality that unites this dynamic region.”