In this week’s edition of In Search of West Indies Cricket, the first of two parts, Roger Seymour looks at the career of Windward Island cricketer, Mike Findlay. In the April, 30th edition – Dinner with the Scarlett Pimpernel – the writer recounted the discovery of his ‘lost’ 1997 notebooks from which this interview was also retrieved.
By Roger Seymour
In late August, 1997, during the final round of the Nortel West Indies Youth Cricket Tournament, Mike Findlay, a West Indies Selector, agreed to an interview provided the subject of “West Indies selection” was not broached. At the Courida Bar, Pegasus Hotel, Findlay, the former Test wicket-keeper reminisced on growing up in St Vincent and his involvement in West Indies cricket.
Findlay hails from the small village of Troumaca on the north west-coast of St Vincent, and his early childhood memories were of Vincentians, including his parents, journeying to Aruba to work on the island’s oil refinery. His interest in cricket, which was played everywhere in the rural community, commenced at a very early age; boys played at every opportunity, halting their games only at the fall of darkness. Their bats were carved from coconut branches, and any small fruit, such as limes, oranges, guavas, breadfruit and grapefruit served as balls since they could not afford to buy proper balls.
