K.R. Nayar Recounts His Experience in Barbados for ICC Men’s T20 World Cup!
By Arriving in a country famed for its natural beauty for the Super Eight matches was exhilarating. The stunning panoramic view of Bridgetown from my American Airlines flight instantly rejuvenated me after the early morning journey from Miami.
On this World Cup tour, Bridgetown truly felt like a host city. The bus to the arrivals terminal was adorned in World Cup colors, and cutouts of legendary cricketers Gary Sobers and Malcolm Marshall greeted us at the entrance.
A fellow traveler aptly called Bridgetown the “Mumbai of West Indies cricket,” highlighting its rich history of producing cricket legends like Frank Worrell, Charlie Griffith, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, along with Sobers and Marshall. The airport was decorated with World Cup banners, and a huge white cricket ball signaled the start of the World Cup action.
Driving to the hotel, we passed the Clyde Walcott roundabout, named after the outstanding player and manager of the West Indies teams that won the World Cup in 1975 and 1979. Our taxi driver, a cricket enthusiast, shared his admiration for the Afghanistan team, likening their fearless play to the legendary Clive Lloyd-led West Indies team.
Barbados welcomes Indian passport holders visa-free. The immigration officer greeted me warmly upon learning my visit was for the World Cup, expressing hope for a West Indies-India final.
Barbados blends cricket and rum seamlessly, with billboards proclaiming “Cricket plus Rum is Barbados.” The island, known as the birthplace of rum, boasts Mount Gay distillery, the world’s oldest rum producer. We found Shanti’s Rum and Roti Restaurant for lunch, a place promising peace through its offerings.
Lastly, the dustbins around town carried the message: “Clean thoughts, clean living, clean nation. Keep Barbados clean.” It would have been fitting to add “clean hitters of the cricket ball,” given that Barbados is hosting the World Cup final.
Credit: K.R. Nayar, krbuzz.blogspot.com