The Barbados Defence Force and
Sri Lanka Defence Services
Cricket Tournament
Force Media, Captain Michael Jules | 27 JUL 2018
Photography credit: Force Media, Lt S Gollop
“Sports has the power to change the world”
– Nelson Mandela –
Brigadier Shiran Abeysekera, Manager of the Sri Lankan Defence Services Cricket team joined, Chief of Staff, Acting, of the Barbados Defence Force Commander Aquinas Clarke, Manager Sports BTMI, Mr Devon Chase, Sports Coordinator of the Barbados Defence Force Captain Michael Jules and media personnel, at a Press Conference held on Friday 27 July 2018, to launch the upcoming Tour of the Sri Lankan Defences Services Cricket team to Barbados.
Brig Shiran Abeysekera addressing the press conference
Mr Devon Chase assured the Press Conference that the BTMI was fully aboard with the tour and stated that the time the team was coming was an opportune time as far as Barbados’ cultural calendar is concerned. He told Brigadier Abeysekera that an invitation was open for the team to return annually, as is the case with the Garfield Sobers Cricket competition where a team from Australia and Sweden competed this year and interest was being shown from a team from Sri Lanka as well.
BDF cricket coach Alvin Greenidge and players listening attentively
Brigadier Abeysekera, who joined the Press Conference live via Skype, in his remarks, expressed excitement in the tour and said they were ready and rearing to get to Barbados not only to play cricket, but to have good camaraderie with the BDF personnel. He thanked everyone involved with their hard work in making the tour possible and said that they wanted to come to Barbados specifically since they had come some 15 years ago in 2003, and it was about time that they returned. He cited outstanding Barbadian players such as Marshall and Garner who are icons to the Sri Lankan cricket fraternity. He mentioned that cricket is a passion of Sri Lankans and Barbados also shares the same cricket passion, plus the atmosphere and hospitality of Barbadians is superb, hence the choice of Barbados to tour.
Commander Aquinas Clarke, Chief of Staff Acting of the Barbados Defence Force spoke of sport being a powerful tool to bring nations and people together. He reflected on the recent Football World Cup where people cheered on a country as though they were citizens and supported that country through thick and thin.
Commander Clarke highlighted the fact that he sees this tour being the catalyst for cricket being added to the (CISM) World Military Sports Council list of sports. He continued, that most countries in this region with Defence Forces are cricketing nations and with the addition of USA, Canada, India, Sri Lanka, UK and Australia there is no reason why Barbados could not be the host of the 1st World Military T/20 Cricket Championships.
COS (ag) Cdr Aquinas Clarke addressing the audience
Captain Michael Jules, Sports Coordinator for the Barbados Defence Force gave the T/20 tournament dates Tuesday 7th, Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th August 2018 with the matches to be played at Paragon Playing Field starting at 12 noon. He further informed the Press Conference of the two 50 overs matches. A day/night match to take place at the 3 W’s Oval, UWI Cave Hill pn Monday 13th August featuring a BCA President’s XI which will include 2 top players from the BDFSP Jameel Stuart and Tevin Walcott. The other 50 over match will feature a combined BDF/BDFSP and UWI team and this match will be played at Briar Hall on Tuesday 14th August starting at 0930 hrs.
The public is invited to attend all the matches free of cost and everyone looks forward to a grand time.
Commodore (Cdre) Errington Ricardo Shurland was appointed Chief of Staff of the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 1 September 2021. He enlisted in the BDF in February 1984 and in a military career spanning over 34 years, has served in various operational and administrative appointments.
Colonel Glyne Grannum joined the Barbados Defence Force (BDF) on 18 October 1985 and underwent career development training at the Canadian Forces Officer Candidate School, Chilliwack and the Combat Training Centre, Gagetown New Brunswick, Canada. He subsequently attended the Infantry Training Centre and the Signal Wing in Warminster, UK (PCBC and RSO Courses respectively), the International Institute of Humanitarian Law in San Remo, Italy; the Lester Pearson Canadian Peacekeeping Centre, the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, Kingston, the Canadian Forces Command and Staff College, Toronto, the National Defence University of the People’s Liberation Army People’s Republic of China and the Centre for Hemispheric Defence Studies, National Defence University, Washington. He also attended a Defence Resources Management programme at National Defence Headquarters, Ottawa, Canada. In addition to being a qualified infantry officer, Col Grannum is a qualified Regimental Signals Officer and a former Operations Officer and Finance Officer of the BDF.
Colonel Banfield joined the Barbados Battalion of the South Caribbean Force in 1941 having just left the Cadet Corps at Combermere School, and was granted a commission as a Second Lieutenant in 1942. He was a Platoon Commander and a Company Commander during the war and served in Barbados, Dominica (as part of the Gale Force), St Lucia and St Vincent.
Warrant Officer Class 1 Colin Marshall is a graduate of the St Michael, and was born on the 5 November 1969 and enlisted in the Barbados Defence Force on 16 August 1994. He was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal in August 1997, Corporal in 1999, Sergeant in 2007, Color Sergeant in 2014, Warrant Officer Class Two in 2017 and Warrant Officer Class One in 2020. He was Most Outstanding Student on Junior Leadership Course in 1998, the Most Outstanding Student on Junior Non Commissioned Officer Cadre in Jamaica in 2000, best at Leadership on the Search Adviser Course in Jamaica in 2007 and the Most Outstanding Student on the Warrant Officer Course in Jamaica in 2015.
