A few days ago, the West Indies’ legendary captain, Clive Lloyd, visited India, specifically his favorite city, Kolkata. During his cricketing career, he had frequented Eden Gardens several times, but his return on Saturday night was particularly special. Despite the chilly air, the atmosphere at Eden Gardens warmed up as the towering figure of Clive Hubert Lloyd strolled leisurely onto the stage.

The Cricket Association of Bengal honoured the living Caribbean legend with a 10-minute audio-visual presentation followed by a felicitation. Clive received a gold wristlet engraved with his name and the customary blazer.

Returning to Eden Gardens held a sentimental value for Lloyd. “It is special to return here at Eden Gardens. I played my first series in India here as captain and have countless fond memories of this ground. West Indians love coming to Kolkata for the warmth and love showered on them. I have felt the same love this time, and I am overwhelmed. I would like to thank the association for their warmth and love,” said Clive.

In his characteristic straightforward manner, he expressed his views on the raging debate over T20s dominating Test cricket.

“I have no qualms with T20. I would love to see the players earning their money. But I would love to see either three or five Test matches in any bilateral series. I would call a T20 an exhibition and a Test match an examination,” he said.

Addressing the financial aspects, he spoke about the distribution of money from the ICC to ensure the growth of cricket in the Caribbean. “This is a plea from me, and let’s see what happens,” he added.

T20 WORLD CUP INVITATION

Sir Clive Lloyd extended an invitation to the crowd at Eden Gardens to attend the forthcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies. “I welcome all of you to my country. It is a great atmosphere there. You will be taken care of, and you will enjoy the games.”

Asked about the brand of cricket he would prefer if his team were playing today, he responded, “Any brand. I would love to play it all. The crowd loves their cricket here. But I am a Test match guy.”

Expressing a desire to witness Chandrasekhar playing T20 cricket, he added a touch of humor to the occasion.

CAB President Snehasis Ganguly, speaking on the occasion, expressed gratitude to Sir Clive Lloyd for taking the time to be present at Eden Gardens. Ganguly reminisced about Lloyd’s visit in 1974 when he captained the West Indies team, a dominant force in world cricket for the next 15 years. The team produced greats like Sir Gordon Greenidge, Sir Vivian Richards, Alvin Kallicharran, and Lawrence Rowe.

Clive Lloyd left the crowd enthralled with his wisdom and humor before retiring for the evening. On his way out, he received a guard of honor from 20 age-group cricketers from Bengal.