(CARICOM Secretariat, Turkeyen, Greater Georgetown, Guyana) “For him it was a labour of love and it is a legacy the Region would do well to catalogue” stated CARICOM Secretary-General Ambassador Irwin in his condolence message, on behalf of the Caribbean Community, on the passing of iconic cricket journalist Tony Cozier.
Cozier, 75 died last Wednesday in his home country Barbados.
The CARICOM SG recalled Cozier’s more than 50 years of chronicling West Indies cricket, with pen and voice, leaving a body of work behind which he said represents a running commentary and history of the game in the Region.
Cozier’s was a good innings well played, he said.
“The Caribbean Community (CARICOM) mourns the passing of one of its most treasured sons, the iconic cricket journalist, Mr Tony Cozier. For more than fifty years with pen and voice, Mr Cozier chronicled West Indies cricket nationally, regionally and internationally. For many years his was the only West Indian voice on the airways from across the seas following the exploits of the cricket team.
While he represented his country at field hockey as a goal keeper, he was an avid club cricketer and it was his passion for the game of cricket that infused his writings and his commentary. A West Indian to the core, Mr Cozier spoke often of his secondary school days in Trinidad and Tobago as a period which solidified his regionalism.
The body of work on cricket left behind by Mr Cozier represents a running commentary and a history of the game in the Region for more than fifty years. For him it was a labour of love and it is a legacy the Region would do well to catalogue.
The Community expresses its condolences to his wife and children and to the Government and people of Barbados. His was a good innings well played.”