How former West Indies fast bowler Winston Davis, who is now confined to a wheelchair in United Kingdom, felt as watched Sunday's World T20 final
All-rounder Dwayne Bravo (in blue) celebrates West Indiesu00c3u0083u00c2u00a2u00c3u0082u00c2u0080u00c3u0082u00c2u0099 World Twenty20 win over England with teammates at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. (inset) Winston Davis
The joy of West Indies’ ICC World T20 victory spread to all corners of the world. That includes a little town called Bewdley in Worcester, England, where former West Indies fast bowler Winston Davis resides.
All-rounder Dwayne Bravo (in blue) celebrates West Indies’ World Twenty20 win over England with teammates at Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. Pic/Getty Images
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Davis (57), who figured in the 1983 World Cup, where he returned amazing figures of seven for 51 against Australia, is paralysed neck down after a tree branch fell on him in 1997.
Winston Davis at his home in Bewdley, Worcestershire, England in 2011. Pic/Clayton Murzello
Joined by two English friends, Davis watched Sunday’s West Indies vs England final. "I was outnumbered," he said with a chuckle. "It was an exciting game and I was delighted when West Indies won thanks to Carlos Brathwaite’s four sixes in the final over. I am 90 per cent paralysed but emotionally, I was filled with excitement."
With West Indies needing 19 to win the final off the final over by Ben Stokes, Davis was not putting his money as it were on West Indies. "To be honest, looking at the equation, I thought England had done enough to win, but our guys showed their fighting spirit. I was very impressed with their dedication and willingness to go the extra mile to make it happen. West Indies are difficult to beat if they play as a unit and that’s what they did. They showed how destructive they can be," said Davis.
The icing on the cake for Davis was West Indies skipper Darren Sammy’s utterances at the post-match presentation, where he said, "I want to thank the Almighty, because without him, nothing is possible."
Davis remarked: "It was very gratifying to hear Sammy thanking his creator. Being a Christian myself, I applaud him and his team. Being a top-line sportsman doesn’t make you God. To acknowledge someone greater than you is so good. The fact that Sammy and his team did that was as satisfying as the win for me."
He hoped the players could sort out their issues with the West Indies Cricket Board. "I have a smile on my face now, but my joy is a bit tainted with disappointment because of this fight. I don’t know all the facts since I am far away, but they have to come together and let bygones be bygones," said Davis.
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