ST JOHN’S, Antigua – Cricket West Indies (CWI) today paid tribute to Anthony “Tony” Harford, who passed away on Friday. Harford was a long-standing highly-respected sports administrator and sportscaster, who also played a major role in the development of cricket at all levels. Mr. Harford was a leading figure in marketing and promotion of sports, including working with the Trinidad & Tobago football team to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.

In the 1990s he worked with the then West Indies Cricket Board of Control (WICBC) in the marketing and sponsorship of the West Indies team, and accompanied the players on tour. Tony’s work in cricket also included the development of age group cricket tournaments and grassroots cricket. He was the lead coordinator and fundraiser for the first-ever West Indies U17 tour to Australia and established an annual “windball” (tennis ball) tournament for amateur players from across the Caribbean.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Tony was a man with a warm voice and an infectious enthusiasm for sports. Trinis would also know him for music and radio, especially his Saturday night radio show. He was a Regionalist and saw the Caribbean as his canvas. He took Caribbean sports to people across the Region informing disparate nooks and crannies about weekly Caribbean sports developments.

The WICB who engaged his services at times should honour him properly for his contribution and the enthusiasm for the game he instilled in many. That level of genuine enthusiasm is tempered nowadays. I suspect it has to do with getting benefits as opposed to earning benefits but that is in passing.

Thanks for the memories. RIP Tony Harford.