‘Reds’ Perreira gets CWI award for service to cricket,

Cricket West Indies (CWI) on Sunday honoured renowned cricket commentator, journalist and broadcaster, Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira for “his dedicated service to the game of cricket and sports in the region for close to 60 years”.

The 80-year-old Guyanese received his award from CWI President Ricky Skerritt at an appreciation ceremony at Sabina Park during the lunch break of the ongoing second Test of the India tour.

This is the 150th Test on which ‘Reds’ Perreira will have been commentating, CWI said in a statement.

Perreira’s first “live” cricket broadcast took place in 1961 in a first-class match between his native Guyana and long-standing rivals Trinidad & Tobago at Rose Hall. Ten years later, he covered his first Test between West Indies and India at Bourda Oval. Perreira has also worked on 250 One-Day Internationals, including attending the half of the dozen ICC Cricket World Cups to be staged – 1975, 1979, 1983, 1992, 2003, and 2007, when it was held in the West Indies, CWI said in its statement Sunday.

In accepting the award Perreira said he would like to share with two other outstanding regional journalists and colleagues, the late Tony Cozier of Barbados and the late Tony Becca of Jamaica.

“I am truly humbled and I want to thank the President (Skerritt) and everyone who helped to make this moment a truly memorable one for me. I’m going out on a very special high,” Perreira was quoted as saying.

“The only sad part is that Tony Cozier and Tony Becca are not here. I want to donate my honour and share with these two esteemed gentlemen. We were friends for a very long time and we shared many special moments in West Indies cricket.”