Gen’ D Arime! Arima names proposed cricket pavilion after Sunil Narine

The Arima Borough Council unanimously approved a resolution on Thursday to name a proposed pavilion at the Larry Gomes Cricket Enclosure at Princess Royal Park, Arima after iconic spin bowler Sunil Phillip Narine.

Narine, who turned 36 today, is a retired West Indies cricketer although he continues to compete in franchise cricket.

The spinner helped the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third Indian Premier League (IPL) title today, with his four overs yielding one wicket for a miserly four runs.

Narine grew up on Columbus Street, Arima and attended Arima Boys RC, alongside childhood friend and ex-Trinidad and Tobago pacer Kevon Cooper.

The motion for the construction of the Sunil Narine Pavilion was raised by Mayor Balliram Maharaj and presented before the Council at its regular statutory meeting in Malabar by Deputy Mayor Jovan Roberts.

The following is an excerpt from the motion:

[…] The motion I am presenting today really highlights [Sunil Narine’s] excellent performance playing for Trinidad and Tobago in the Regional Series at all levels, that is four-day tournament, one day and T20 games, while he also did a remarkable job for the West Indies team in all formats, including Test matches.

Mr Narine announced his retirement earlier this year from all international and regional games at age 35 years, which signalled the end of his career under Cricket West Indies, but he will continue to ply his trade at the franchise level.

He will be recorded as one of the most outstanding spin bowlers in the world, having been described as a mystery bowler. And in addition, he was recognized as a hard-hitting batsman [and] a game changer.

Mr Narine is what we call a “born Arimian”—a Gen’ D Arime having come from a well-known family in Arima.

He was inspired and encouraged by his father Chad Narine. His grandfather was a close associate of the late Arima icon, Mr Arnold Thomasos, who served as MP for Arima and was the longest Speaker of the House of Representative in the Commonwealth.

And his uncle, the late Jarrette Narine, was a councillor, MP and government minister.

Due to Mr Narine’s prolific allround performances in cricket, we in Arima feel proud to associate his prowess with our beloved Royal Chartered Borough. He is well known as an easy-going sportsman who conducts himself on and off the field in a dignified and respectable manner.

We in Arima have produced many outstanding cricketers but because of Mr Narine’s international reputation, we as representatives of the people of Arima are compelled to pay tribute and respect to this outstanding sportsman by honouring him in the most appropriate way.

It is against this background I would like to recommend that the proposed construction of a pavilion at the Larry Gomes Cricket ground should be named after him titled “Sunil Narine Pavilion”.