Cricketers and books may not go hand in hand usually but the West Indies team has a lot of avid readers, including the current captain Jason Holder, and their favourite book thereafter is Nelson Mandela’s autobiography. West Indies team’s media manager Phillip Spooner revealed the reading habits of his players.
Nelson Mandela is the biggest icon not only for the entire black community but whole world. His book ‘Long Walk To Freedom’ is an inspirational book for anyone and everyone. The skipper of the West Indies team Jason is now reading the book. Even Sulieman Benn was seen buying the book recently. It has already been a hit among the fellow cricketers, Spooner said during the sidelines of West Indies’ training sessions.
Spooner then fondly remembered how the entire West Indies team once went to Mandela’s house in Soweto a few years before he passed away during a tour. They actually invited the whole team, he said laughing. They were in Mandela’s city and they all decided to let impose themselves on him and that he won’t be able to refuse the team. He did spend some time with the team, said the media manager.
South Africa is a country which is very close to heart of Caribbean people. May be both the island nations are also dominated by black people and that is why they could relate with their joys and sorrows. Whenever the West Indies team goes to South Africa, the Windies ensure that they do some kind of community service for the people over there. It creates a good feeling, said Spooner.
Once, during an international match, the West Indies team had invited 25 kids from Soweto, who came a long way to watch them play. But yes, it all starts with the reverence and respect the team has for Mandela.