George Headley

A week-long schedule of activities to commemorate the 100th birthday, life and legacy of former West Indies and Jamaica batting great, George Headley, was launched yesterday at Sabina Park.

The centenary celebrations, which will be held from Sunday, May 24 through to Saturday, May 30, the birthday of Headley, will see several tributes being paid to the cricketing legend - who is regarded among the best batsmen of all time.

The commemorative events will take the form of an exhibition at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, a symposium at the University of the West Indies (UWI), a family fun day and an all-star cricket match which will take place at Lucas Cricket Club, where the genius honed his skills.

Additionally, there will be a special edition centenary commemorative magazine.

"We are hoping to remind present day Jamaicans who may have heard of him and those may not, of the greatness of the legendary George Headley," said former Jamaica and West Indies batsman and chairman of the organising committee, Easton McMorris, at yesterday's launch.

Among those present at the function were Headley's son Lyndie, who is also an Olympian, as well as his wife Carmen, daughter Mrs. Kameka Headley-Clarke, son-in-law Mark Clarke and grandson Xavier Clarke.

"He made phenomenal achievements in cricket at another time and era and was as important as Marcus Garvey in the struggle towards uplifting the black race. Garvey said 'up you mighty race', while Headley actualised it as a black man in a white era with his performances. He was one of the founding fathers of modern Jamaica," McMorris noted.

The exhibition, which will be held under the distinguished patronage of Governor General Dr Patrick Allen and his wife, Patricia, will be sponsored by the Institute of Sports.

It will feature clippings on Headley, who was the first of the great black batsmen to emerge from the West Indies.

Headley, who scored 2,190 runs in 22 Tests before and after World War II, including 10 centuries - at an average of 60.83 - died in 1983 at the age of 74.

The celebrations will then move to the Undercroft of the University of the West Indies, also at 6:00pm, where professor Brian Meeks, will moderate the symposium, which will see presentations from cricketacademics and historians, Dr Christine Cummings, Arnold Bertram, Tony Becca and Jimmy Richards.

"We want to celebrate the centenary of probably the greatest cricketer that Jamaica and the West Indies have produced," said Brian Breese, a member of the organising committee. "Australia did the same thing to Donald Bradman last year and we thought that it would only be fitting to do likewise. Something was done for the 'White Headley', so we are doing something for the 'Black Bradman'," he pointed out.

His son Lyndie thanked the members of the committee honouring his father.

"We appreciate what is being done to honour my father. It is things like these that brings out the greatness of my father to us, as growing up, I didn't understand much and thank the organising committee, headed by Lucas, for making it happen," Lyndie said.