Farewell, Watto

Guyana and West Indies cricket has lost a stalwart with the recent passing of Desmond 'Watto' Watkins after a brief illness.

It's no exaggeration to say that every young cricketer in and around Georgetown came under the friendly influence and watchful eyes of Watto, a gentle man who had a soft spot for youth cricket in Guyana.

For as long as anyone can remember, Watto not only served as a net bowler and dressing room attendant for the touring teams that came to Bourda, but also served as the first coach for many international stars.

His informal 'Saturday School' coaching lessons were a fixture at the edges of the famous Bourda sward, where many eventual national players -- Carl Hooper, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shiv Chanderpaul, Reon King, Andy Jackman, Calvin Belgrave, Paul Persaud, etc. -- gained their first exposure to organized cricket under his watchful gaze.

Watto was an institution at Bourda, cigarette-in-hand, manning the gates to the members' pavilion or keeping order in the dressing rooms. As a schoolboy, if you were respectful to him, Watto would allow you to slip into a corner of the pavilion for a session or two of international cricket. I was not the least to benefit of his largesse.

In later years, Watto could always be found doing what he loved, and that was either holding court, talking passionately about the game, or watching cricket and greeting the many friends and well-wishers whom he had come to know over the years. He never forgot a face, nor was he ever too busy to have a drink.

From the star Test cricketer in every decade going back to the fifties, to the simplest weekend warrior, Watto knew, and was friends with them all. It was always enlighting to see Watto pull some cricketing stalwart aside to give him tips on any technical flaws his eagle eye may have detected.

Mr Watkins will be missed by all. In this modern age of Twenty/20, fast-food cricket, Watto was a throwback to a gentler time, when club cricket was the lifeblood of the game in the region.

Somehow, even though he has departed this life, I know his spirit will be at a cricket match somewhere doing what he enjoyed doing, and that's living.

RIP, Mr Watto.