Interview with a cricket encyclopedia, Puntan
Interview with a cricket encyclopedia, Puntan
Q. Is Puntan your right name?
A. Puntan is not my right name. It’s my nickname. My birth name is Cyril and I was named after my father. He was the one who called me Puntan.
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. West Bourne Street.
Q. When were you introduced into the world of cricket?
A. Well my father was a cricketer. As a small boy I learn my cricket in West Bourne Street. Across the street was an empty plot of land and is right there the cricket field was. When school had holidays, the big boys and the big girls use to teach us.
Q. You mentioned that your father use to play cricket.
A. Yes. As a matter of fact, my father was the caretaker of Warner Park and he was also the grounds man. My father prepared new bats by using linseed oil. He was also the leading bat repairer on the island and prepared pitches for matches.
He took care of Warner Park from 1946 to 1973. He took me out of Boys School in 1952 to work in the park with him. I worked with him at Warner Park for seventeen years.
Q. You also were an umpire. How did it all begin?
A. Well, you know summer holidays always the longest holidays in school. At that time, long division cricket use to start. So at the age of 14 years, I went to watch the late George McMahon bat while the captain for the other side bowl but one of the umpires didn’t turn up. So they ask my father if I could go with him and with his permission, I went and got the umpire gown. That time we use to keep them downstairs the pavilion. Umpires wore some old big long gowns. I’ve been an umpire for about 50 years since I started in 1952.
Q. Well you know how emotional people tend to be about cricket. So I guess you endured some criticisms about the calls you made?
A. Well I umpired for many years. You can curse from now until thy Kingdom come, but when I was down there doing my job I did my job to the best of my ability.
Q. Your eyes have to be well trained?
A. To be an umpire you must see the flight of the ball. We are not perfect. We made mistakes. We could not do anything about it. Right now they have all kind of technology out where you can see the angle of the flight of the ball. At times I don’t agree with all this technology because for me, it takes a part of the game away.
Picture this, the bowler bowling a fast bowl. You have to see and still hear. When you chucking, that is don’t bowl the ball fair, you as the umpire have to determine if he trying to touch the wicket or he is bowling it. It’s hard and it needs a lot of practice. You have to learn to concentrate for long hours because you can lose concentration.
Q. Well I am sure you have some memories of the days when you umpired. Care to share any?
A. Well I have a friend who umpired and he had to use a cream as his face used to always swell up. We also had a fellow, who use to take in with fits (epilepsy). I see plenty people take in with fits but I never see somebody like him. He would run around the park, next time he come back and stand up and fall. I never see people like that.
Q. What does cricket mean to you?
A. Well it means a whole lot to me. In fact I like sports in general. I am sports enthusiast.
Q. As an aside, what other sports is on the top of your list?
A. Boxing.
Q. Presently, who is your favourite boxer?
A. Right now I don’t have any favourite boxer. The heavy weights that coming, out are the worst weights I ever see. And to think they getting more money.
Q. Back to cricket. What in your opinion makes a good captain?
A. Well that is a ticklish one. First, you have to know the game and you have to know the players. Cricket is a sport just like any other sport like football or soccer as some people refer to it today. You must know the game and you must know the rules. When you know the rules that govern the game you play it better. Further, you must play together as one team like a family.
Q. Any differences on how cricket was played then?
A. Presently, they bringing in all kind of roles now since I stop playing.
Q. Give me an example.
A. Well, a lot of commentators call the wicket wrong. The wicket is the stump and rails. The pitch is what you play on. You hear them saying how the wicket can’t play on. The pitch is what you play on, not the wicket.
I was then given some lessons on bowling. From this rigorous
training under Puntan’s direction, I am now a qualified all
rounder.
Q. So tell me about the first team they had?
A. The first Leeward Islands Tournament started in 1913. The Tournament was for the Hesketh Bell Shield. Back then, the Leeward Islands Team comprised of St. Kitts, Montserrat and Antigua and as a matter of fact, in the 1920s Dominica was a part of the Leeward Islands. Thus, the team that took part was St. Kitts, Antigua, Montserrat and Dominica. In the 1930’s Dominica was no longer a part of the Leewards. So it was just St. Kitts, Montserrat and Antigua. In 1949 Nevis became a part of the Leewards.
Before they played in Warner Park, they used to play in Ponds Pasture and then they move and use to play in Springfield Pasture what they now call the Camp. They use to play tournament there. What happened is that the ground up there was small and often the ball use to smash the windows at the Governor House. Fortunately, one of the fellows for the estate gave a plot of land for cricket.
Well the whole of the park was to be from the middle of Lozack Road, Victoria Road and then all the way across by the Moravian Church. It was so much space that he took back part of the land. That would have been a massive area. So the boundary of the Park ended where Carnival Village is now. The first tournament played in Warner Park was in 1928.
This question was asked before Brian Lara was selected as Captain.
Q. How do you feel about Brian Lara?
A. Lara is my favourite batsman. There is no doubt he is the best batsman on planet earth today. His record proves it. Caribbean people need to support him.
Q. How you find the level of cricket here in St. Kitts.
A. Our standard here was very high. We begin to pick up again.
Q. People keep asking why is it that a Kittitian never play for the West Indies Team. Now I am asking you.
A. I tell them 2 things: either they don’t like us or they can’t pick themselves. The record is there to show, George McMahahorn Buchanan, Austin Eddy and his son, Victor Eddy. Couple of years ago I wrote an article stating that there were 11 wicket keepers. Out of the 11 I never see 2 of them play. I know all of them well.
Q. Have you ever been struck by the ball?
A. Twice. I nearly loose my life. It was a Saturday and the late Dr. Bertram Ross was batting. I ran out to field and somebody bowl too quickly. It hit me. Dr Ross said if it had catch me around my temple it would have kill me right there.
On one occasion, we were playing at Grammar School and I got three broken ribs from the late Desmond ‘Scratch’ Ward. He was a quick bowler.
Next morning when I was lying down, I turned. I feel pain all over. I start to cry so me father ask me what happened. I thought I had a stroke on the side because it was “dead”. It was painful. So my father called Dr. Ross, and when he came and examined me, he sent me straight the hospital. The X-ray showed three broken ribs.
I still went back to play with ‘me break ribs’. You have to get a lot of blows you know. You got to be tough. We in St. Kitts have a lot of natural talent. The difference is that this younger generation is not committed. Everyone wants quick money without working for it.
The time has come for us to rise again.