Profile: Sunny Basdeo – Cricket in the Old Days – By Dr Dhanpaul Narine

Profile: Sunny Basdeo  – Cricket in the Old Days

By Dr Dhanpaul Narine

It was 1947 and he could well have been Guyana’s answer to Sonny Ramadhin if things were different. But Sunny Basdeo lived in an age when the opportunities were limited and when the talent was so rich that several outstanding players had to compete for a single spot. Nevertheless, Sunny managed to represent Guyana as a spin bowler and to make a name for himself in the country. His memory is sharp and he could recall with accuracy the beginnings of some of the greats in cricket including Rohan Kanhai, Lance Gibbs, Joe Solomon, Basil Butcher and others.

Sunny Basdeo was born at Plantation Leonora on the West Coast of Demerara. He is the youngest of three children. His father is Dhupan Maraj and his mom is Somaria. Sunny attended Anna Catherina Primary School that was opposite the cricket ground. He liked reading but cricket got hold of him and he went to work in the factory ‘ pushing wheelbarrow and throwing turn wood in the boiler.’ He would throw wood in the night and this would free him up to play cricket in the day.   

Sunny’s cricketing career began with softball and then the team moved on to hard ball. Every weekend they would play at Leonora seawall. He would miss meals because of cricket but he didn’t mind. Sunny took up welding through the sugar estate but cricket first on his mind. After a stint in club cricket Sunny found that he could spin the ball and he began taking wickets. It so happened that in 1948 a coach from Bookers visited Leonora. He was Woolford and he was looking for talent.

Read more: Profile – Sonny Basdeo – Cricket in the Old Days