Joe Krishnan | Evening Standard
Sir Clive Lloyd
West Indies cricket legend Clive Lloyd has been given a knighthood in the New Year Honours List.
The Guyana-born batsman, now 75, has been honoured for his service to the game.
Clive Lloyd heads a long list of names from West Indies cricket to receive the award, with the likes of Sir Garfield Sobers, Sir Everton Weekes and Sir Viv Richards all honoured.
Although Lloyd received a CBE in 1993, the belated nature of Lloyd’s award might be explained by his hailing from Guyana, which became a republic in 1970.
Coincidentally, Guyana was granted independence in 1966, the year in which 22-year old, left-handed, middle-order batsman, Clive Lloyd made his Test debut against India.
Whilst Sir Viv Richards, plus the likes of Sir Curtly Ambrose and Sir Richie Richardson in 2014, were knighted directly by the government of Antigua, Lloyd has had to wait for his opportunity.
He captained the West Indies from 1974 until 1985 and played for Lancashire from 1968 until 1986, later settling in the Greater Manchester area.
His former Lancashire team-mate Farokh Engineer, who also played for India, said the honour was “well overdue because a lot of his colleagues were knighted, so I am so glad”.
The impact Lloyd had during his playing career at Old Trafford was emphasised by the county’s then captain Jack Bond, who said: “His value to Lancashire cannot be measured by ordinary standards.”
Lloyd has scored 7,515 runs at an average of more than 46 in 110 appearances. He was named captain of the West Indies in 1974, three years after being awarded the prestigious title of Wisden Cricketer of the Year.
At the time the West Indies were far from a dominant force in world cricket, and after an embarrassing Test series defeat in Australia in 1976, Lloyd vowed: “I promise we will never get another flogging like this while I am captain.”
Lloyd was true to his word as he went on to establish the West Indies as a global force, as well as returning statistics which make him one of the finest Test captains of all time.
Lloyd led the West Indies in 70 Tests of which they won 36. He also led them to two World Cup wins in 1975 and 1979 and was the first West Indies player to achieve 100 international caps.
Lloyd’s West Indies side went 26 matches without defeat and thrashed England 5-0 in what became known as the 1984 “Blackwash” series.
He also led the West Indies to victory in the first cricket World Cup in 1975 scoring 102 at Lord’s against an Australia side with feared bowlers Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson spearheading their pace attack.
Lloyd became a folk hero in Lancashire as a key player in the 1970s side that became known as the “Kings of One Day Cricket”.
Ex-Lancashire player John Abrahams, who captained the county in the 1980s, said: “I made my debut in 1973 and Lancashire were a team of stars. Clive was very good to me taking me under his wing in a very informal way.”
“As a batsman he changed the face of the game – there was a real buzz around the ground when he came into bat.”
“He hit shots the rest of us could only dream of playing.”
After retirement, Lloyd became a respected international referee and also served as both a director of the West Indies Cricket Board and briefly as its chairman of selectors.
Additional reporting by the Press Association and BBC
ALSO VIEW:
Sir Clive Lloyd Statistics from ESPNCRICINFO.COM : http://www.espncricinfo.com/westindies/content/player/52345.html
Comments
Congratulations and knighthood well deserved.
Viva Clive one of the greatest 🏏 cricketers
of all time … knighted at last.
Kamtan 🇬🇧🇬🇾🇪🇸🇬🇧👽🏏
Clive should refuse to accept the title in a show of respect for what the British did to our ancestors. I’d be deeply disappointed if doesn’t.
Emanuel.
Sorry disagree !
We must forgive but not forget.
Bygones be bygones.
It is 2020 yet abuse / slavery still exist.
There are many other ways of protesting/reminding us of
inhuman barbaric behaviour of humans
past and present.
Go figure
Kamtan 🇬🇧🇬🇾🇪🇸🇬🇧👽
Such an honour is tainted with blood. In some cases, you can forgive and let bygones be bygones. But not in this case. Your comment is traitorous, shameful and offensive.
Traitorous shameful and offensive !
Really !
“In your opinion”
Judge not lest you be judged ….
…
10 – 4, big buddy!
Why Lewis Hamilton’s Lack of a Knighthood Should Come As No Surprise
Written by Dieter Rencken | RaceFans.net
Since Friday, when Britian’s 2019 New Year Honours List was published, there has been a recurring question on Formula 1 social media feeds:
‘What must Lewis Hamilton do to get a knighthood?’.
There are no doubts Hamilton ranks amongst the very best drivers Formula 1 has ever feted – and is its best-ever by some metrics – just as there are zero doubts that his successes resonate across the globe.
Hamilton has single-handedly brought diversity into a sport which badly lacked it, and contributed to awareness of veganism and ‘green’ lifestyle choices despite dominating an activity not readily associated with eco-awareness.
Yet folk point to cricketers who receive honours after winning a single World Cup, name politicians they feel screwed up the country, fume at the recognition of highly controversial jurists and administrators.
Then they scream ‘injustice’ as Hamilton, who was made a ‘Member Of The Most Excellent Order Of The British Empire’ (MBE) following his 2008 title, is left to await further recognition.
SOME SUGGEST RACISM OR HAMILTON’S TAX RECORD HAVE PLAYED A ROLE. But of the thousand-plus names mentioned in 2019’s list, 9.1% are from minority groups, which is broadly in line with Britain’s demographic.
As for Hamilton’s tax arrangements, which last hit the headlines two years ago when he was accused of dodging a £3.2 million bill on a private jet, Lord Peter Hain has claimed the Mercedes driver ranks amongst the country’s top 5,000 tax payers, with his income generated mainly by British business.
Hamilton became an MBE after his first title win 11 years ago
The boy from thoroughly humble Stevenage roots, who overcame staggering odds to rise to the very top of arguably the world’s most brutal mainstream sporting genre, has done so in British-built kit throughout his 13 years in F1.
Surely, he has done enough to be ordered to kneel and feel the tap of a gleaming royal sword on his shoulder?
SUCH SENTIMENTS, THOUGH, OVERLOOK A SIMPLE REALITY.
Namely that of all British F1 world champions – 10 to date – ONLY SIR JACKIE STEWART HAS BEEN KNIGHTED.
Stewart worked tirelessly on safety and contributed to various charities after retiring. Despite a record-breaking career in British-owned teams, STEWART WAS HONOURED 26 YEARS AFTER HIS THIRD AND FINAL WORLD TITLE.
ONLY TWO FURTHER F1 DRIVERS HAVE BEEN KNIGHTED. SIR JACK BRABHAM, ALSO A TRIPLE CHAMPION – twice with British cars, then in 1966 in a car of his making – was HONOURED 13 YEARS AFTER WINNING HIS FINAL TITLE, under a short-lived arrangement whereby Australians could qualify for such accolades.
THE OTHER WAS SIR STIRLING MOSS, following an illustrious career – albeit one without a F1 title – including victories in Le Mans, Mille Miglia, rallies, speed records and other high-profile activities at a time when grand prix racing was not the only form of motor sport widely recognised by the public.
NOW CONSIDER NOTABLE OMISSIONS: John Surtees CBE, four-time motorcycle world champion, 1964 F1 champion, F1 team owner and ambassador for the Racing Steps Foundation despite losing a son to the sport; Mike Hawthorn, Britain’s first F1 world champion; double champions Graham Hill and Jim Clark. The latter missed out in spite of setting records for career victories and greatest number of wins in a season.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT THERE WERE NO MAJOR AWARDS TO DRIVERS UNTIL THE LATE 1990s/EARLY 2000s:
Stewart and Moss knighted, as was successful team owner Sir Frank Williams. The latter’s McLaren peer Ron Dennis was made a ‘Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire’ (CBE).
Since then the only F1-related honours recipients of note besides Hamilton were Jenson Button and his former team boss Ross Brawn (both 2010), and Claire Williams (2016), whose team was F1’s most successful independent operation at the time, plus services to Women in Motorsport.
In 2012 Nigel Mansell’s honour was upgraded from OBE to CBE, but as president of UK Youth. THERE HAVE BEEN NO F1 KNIGHTHOODS FOR 20 YEARS.
Could it also be that after 2000 Buckingham Palace and folk in the honours loop took a dislike to F1, and thus no longer views its protagonists worthy of being knighted?
CERTAINLY, F1 HARDLY COVERED ITSELF IN GLORY THIS MILLENNIUM:
The infamous ‘Baccy Bung’, when then-F1 tsar Bernie Ecclestone was accused of donating a million quid to the ruling Labour party in return for tobacco concessions; the McLaren versus Ferrari ‘Spygate’ affair; Renault’s ‘Crashgate’; a widely publicised sex scandal; Ecclestone’s Munich trial, which saw $100m paid to settle $35m bribery allegations, and so on…
BACK, THOUGH, TO THE OPENING QUESTION:
History relates that, at the very least, Hamilton needs to retire from F1, then dedicate the next 20 years of his life to some high-profile activity while perhaps hoping that F1 un-tarnishes itself in the interim.
For those who need an introduction:
Grenada-born, Anthony Hamilton, is a British racing-car manager, and father of Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton is a Champion Formula 1 Driver that is shattering all records.
Hamilton is in a sport with sons of millionaires, which makes his achievements more remarkable as a son from humble beginnings.
I expect he will be awarded a Knighthood eventually, for some other reason.
The Palace wants to stay away from controversy, I believe.
Of all the honours and awards C.H. Lloyd greatest achievement is being the favourite cricketeer and batsman of Mohd. Rafi, the greatest singer of all-time.
Rafi ….who is she ?
…
Mohammad Rafi is now deceased ….