D. Anthony Luton, Sunday Gleaner Reporter

Edward Seaga, president of the Tivoli Gardens football club, watches his team play against Arnett Gardens in the Tony Spaulding Sports Complex in November 2004. -File

Many batsmen shy away from pace bowlers because of the fear of short-pitched bowling; not Edward George Seaga. In the days when he sported whites, there was nothing to him like collaring pace men normally viewed as the bully.

?I like to open the innings. I like to face the first ball; I like to face pace bowlers,? boasts Mr. Seaga, whose favourite shots are the pull and the hook.

HOW TO DEAL WITH BOWLERS

Although sitting, Mr. Seaga could not pass up the opportunity to demonstrate to The Sunday Gleaner how he dealt with bowlers who delivered short-pitched deliveries. Almost in textbook fashion, looking over his left shoulder, as coaches normally instruct, Mr. Seaga lifted his right hand toward his face, opened his palm and neatly rolled his right wrist in a manner which suggests that his technique may have been good enough to keep the ball on the ground.

Anything short coming to me that I could play, I would hook to the on-side of the field, Mr. Seaga relates.

Former West Indies gloves man Jackie Hendricks, who played in the Colts team at Wolmer's Boys School while young Seaga was a senior student at the school, said the former prime minister was very keen on cricket.

He was a very useful player and he had a lot of enthusiasm about cricket,? Mr. Hendricks said. He loved the game but he had a greater interest in academics,? Mr. Hendricks adds.

Decades ago, while a schoolboy, Mr. Seaga was a wicketkeeper/batsman. He was talented enough to captain the school?s senior team second 11 and would have played for the first side, had Harvard University not beckoned.

Last week, after the West Indies defeated Pakistan in the first ever World Cup game to be played in the Caribbean, Mr. Seaga, who witnessed it at Sabina Park, spoke with The Sunday Gleaner about his love and introduction to cricket.

It was at Wolmer?s where I first played the game, Mr. Seaga recounted at the western Kingston stadium in Tivoli Gardens named for him. ?I went to a practice session one evening, saw the gloves, picked them up and fell in love with wicketkeeping, Mr. Seaga recalls.

Young Seaga attended Wolmer?s in the mid to late 1940s and was in big wicketkeeping company at the school. Schoolmates Gerry Alexander and the younger Hendricks both went on to represent the West Indies.

Mr. Alexander kept for the Sunlight Cup team and was a brilliant wicketkeeper/batsman. When Mr. Seaga had established his worth as a cricketer, Mr. Alexander offered him his place behind the stumps. He saw Mr. Seaga as a good wicketkeeper and might have felt that if he was relieved of wicketkeeping duties, he would be able to concentrate on his batting.

TAKE OVER THE WICKET

?Gerry said to me, ?I am thinking of coming out from behind the wicket this year and I would like for you to take it up?. But when I found out that I was going to go to Harvard, it did not make sense after that,? Mr. Seaga recounts.

He soon left Wolmer?s for Harvard where he captained a Harvard?s cricket team, which was made up of students from the Commonwealth. And when he returned to Jamaica, he headed for Kingston Cricket Club where he played the game but did not break into the senior team.

Mr. Seaga?s entry into politics did not kill his love for the game. However, because of studies, research and political duties, he was not able to follow the great players such the 3Ws (Worrell, Weekes and Walcott) or Gary Sobers, or Clive Lloyd as he would have wanted.

He, however, saw tapes of Sir. Vivian Richards and believes he is a class act. He thinks the same of Courtney Walsh, whom he says is his favourite bowler.

Widely regarded as a lover of sports and a student of the game, Mr. Seaga says cricket to this day remains his favourite sport. No wonder he said, Tuesday, March 13, when history unfolded in Jamaica ?is a day that I will always remember.

Like many students of the game, Mr. Seaga says there is nothing to him like batsmen approaching their craft textbook style.?I like to see orthodox batting. I like to see the elbow cocked, knee over the ball and proper stroke play. I love a good cover drive, Mr. Seaga says. He says he was treated to such batting displays by Pakistan?s heavyweights Inzamam-ul-Haq and Mohammad Yousuf on Tuesday.

Distinguished fellow

However, being a distinguished fellow at the University of the West Indies, Mona, affords him little time to watch all the Cricket World Cup games in Jamaica even if he wanted to, so he will not be returning to Sabina Park until April 24 for the first semi-final.

But how does Mr. Seaga feel about the tournament being staged in the Caribbean for the first time and Jamaica playing a lead role He had this this to say:

There were doubts about it in the beginning. I myself was not in favour of spending that kind of money on any game but the West Indies are obviously putting up a good show; the facilities are excellent and the team is rising to the occasion, so we can?t want better than that.?