The Caribbean cricket community is preparing to bid a final farewell to one of its most iconic figures, as the government of Antigua and Barbuda has given formal approval for a high-powered delegation of the nation’s most celebrated cricket legends to travel to Barbados for the state funeral of West Indian cricket giant Sir Garfield Sobers.
Leading the delegation are some of the biggest names in Antigua and Barbuda’s cricketing history: national hero Sir Vivian Richards, alongside fellow cricketing knights Sir Andy Roberts, Sir Curtly Ambrose, and Sir Richie Richardson. They will be joined by Dwayne George, Antigua and Barbuda’s Sports Minister and a former national cricketer, who will officially represent the dual-island nation at the ceremonial event.
Maurice Merchant, Director General of Communications for Antigua and Barbuda, announced the Cabinet’s decision at the official post-Cabinet press briefing held on Thursday. In remarks to reporters, Merchant emphasized the unique standing Sobers holds in global sport and Caribbean heritage, noting that the delegation will carry the full respect and mourning of the entire Antigua and Barbuda nation to the service. “Together, they will pay the nation’s final respects to one of the greatest cricketers the world has ever known and a towering figure in Caribbean history,” Merchant told the assembled press.
In an official statement, the Cabinet highlighted that the composition of the cross-sector delegation of cricketing stars and government officials underscores the profound admiration that Antigua and Barbuda retains for Sobers. Beyond his record-breaking achievements on the cricket pitch, Cabinet noted that Sobers’ influence transcended sport, becoming a source of collective pride and inspiration that empowered generations of young people across the entire Caribbean region.
The state funeral is scheduled to kick off at 10 a.m. local time on Wednesday, July 29, held at Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados — a ground that has played host to countless historic moments in West Indian cricket. Prior to this formal approval of the delegation, Antigua and Barbuda’s Prime Minister Gaston Browne had already delivered a public tribute honoring Sobers’ life and legacy. The Cabinet has also issued a directive requiring all flags on public government buildings across Antigua and Barbuda to be flown at half-staff as a mark of national respect for the late cricketing icon.