Secretary-General of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Mr. Edwin Carrington, and the entire staff of the Secretariat extend heartiest congratulations to West Indies fast bowler and Ambassador Extraordinaire, Courtney Walsh, on his historic achievement as the first bowler in the world to capture 500 wickets in Test cricket.
Mr. Walsh’s record is a true reflection of his dedication to excellence and to the game of cricket. Persistence, as evidenced by his performance on the West Indies team since gaining his first cap in the series against Australia in 1984-1985, is rare but worthy of emulation by every young West Indian. Throughout his career, Courtney Walsh, a Jamaican, has displayed nothing but the deepest love for the game, as played by West Indians. He has been a source of inspiration not only to his teammates and young cricketers throughout our Community but also to cricketers, cricket enthusiasts and young people everywhere. Indeed, he is a role model for West Indians from all walks of life.
A gentleman and a giant. Those of us who have followed his career – from his first wicket (Australian Graham Wood’s) to his five hundredth (South Africa’s Jacques Kallis) – are hardly unsurprised that Courtney Walsh has reached this pinnacle. He has never shied away from carrying his share and more of the burden of the team, as Captain or player. His performance today (19 March 2001) has come at a most opportune time as the West Indies team seeks inspiration in this series against South Africa. It is fitting that this record was achieved during the Golden Test at Queen’s Park Oval in Trinidad and Tobago during the second of the five test series between West Indies and South Africa.
