Tony Becca Retires from Journalism
Tony Becca, one of the region's foremost cricket writer and administrator, is retiring from journalism, ending a distinguished career that spanned almost three decades.
Becca, who served as sports editor of the Jamaica Gleaner for more than 20 years, is expected to announce his retirement on Friday to spend more time with his wife, Celia. He will continue as president of the Melbourne Cricket Club, a post he has held for 15 years.
Becca, an outspoken writer who recently created a stir after advocating that star batsman Brian Lara be axed from the World Cup squad, is celebrated as the doyen and an institution in West Indies cricket journalism.
Along with Tony Cozier, Becca carried the West Indies torch in the days before television and the Internet, often being the lone voice for cricket commentary in the Caribbean.
A soft-spoken man, Becca was fearless in his criticisms of the corruption and apathy that surrounds West Indies cricket. His no-holds-barred approach to journalism has earned him respect throughout the Caribbean, even though his writing style has raised the ire of the purists.
More recently, Becca was taken to task for his too-close association with former West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) president Pat Rousseau. The fruits of that old friendship meant that Rousseau was treated with kid gloves by Becca but, for the most part, cricket fans could always expect fairness from a Becca column.
During the recent Carib Cup competition, his columns berating the lax approach of Jamaican batsmen Chris Gayle and Wavell Hinds were classic, even if unwelcomed at home. When the selectors rushed to judgment and dropped Marlon Samuels from the World Cup squad over a medical report communications mix-up, Becca took to the airwaves to defend the decision, upsetting many Jamaicans.
But nothing could compare to the backlash Becca received in February when he called on the selectors to leave Lara out of the World Cup in South Africa. Becca had argued that Lara had shown "little respect for the game, its administrators and the people of the West Indies".
"In times past, the selectors, despite grumbling about Lara's attitude, despite whispering about its effect on the team and on West Indies cricket, failed to act," Becca wrote.
It was a column that showed he was willing to take the most unpopular stance, regardless of the circumstances.
Becca has won numerous journalism and national awards in the Caribbean, none more significant than the Order of Distinction he received from the Jamaican government in 1994. He has also been honoured by Caricom for his service to the region.