Is cricket the national sport of Barbados?
Innings, runs, overs, wickets, ODI... sound familiar (not to me)? If so, you may wish you were in Barbados in June to catch some of the action at the ninth ICC Men's T20 World Cup, held in the West Indies and the USA. The whole island is abuzz with support for the West Indies team, as it looks forward to hosting the tournament’s final in the legendary, 28,000-capacity Kensington Oval.
If there's one British legacy Barbadeans are proud of, it's their passion for cricket. It's obvious from the first visit to Barbados. There is not a parish without a cricket ground, not a school without a cricket team, and not a conversation between friends without a mention of cricket. With weekly training sessions, friendly tournaments and even lessons on the beach, cricket is omnipresent. The sport has been a household name since Barbados' national champion Garfield Sobers, now 87 and an international player with the West Indies team, became ‘Sir Gary Sobers’ after being knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 1975. Recognized as the world's greatest cricketer, he was subsequently declared ‘National Hero of Barbados’ in 1998.
So, if you're a cricket fan and can’t make the World Cup, maybe you can catch a regional tournament if you visit Barbados between January and April. Fun and festivities guaranteed.
Author: Jihane Sfeir
English translation by Joy Lewis (https://www.aaatranslationservicesbb.com/en/