The Thursday Read: Omar Henry interview: "You need to be prepared to stand in front of the mirror and say: Right, how am I going to rectify this?"
David Barnes speaks to the President-Elect of Cricket Scotland about his playing career and the importance of looking forward positively
OMAR HENRY – Cricket Scotland’s President-Elect – is on the phone from Cape Town. He’s speaking with a distinctive South African accent, and he starts the conversation by celebrating The Proteas’ recent ICC World Test Championship Final success over Australia at Lords, speculating about the positive impact he hopes that achievement can have on the sport in his homeland.
The 73-year-old is what the rugby fraternity in Scotland might call a ‘Jock-Bok’, but anyone assuming this means confused loyalties would be wildly wide of the mark.
On the contrary, Henry’s deep-rooted commitment to both nations is immediately evident when he starts to compare his experiences in the two distinct but comparable cricketing cultures which have each had seismic roles in defining his personalty and reputation. It is quickly apparent that rather than muddying the waters, this unique history in the game provides clarity about what he hopes to bring to the job when he ascends to the Presidency of Cricket Scotland at the end of this month.
Emergency post: Scotland have failed to qualify for the T20 World Cup – how did that happen and what does it mean going forward?
The Monday Wrap (14th July): Clydesdale stay on course for double while Heriot's hit a speed bump in the East
The Thursday Read (10th July): Italy defeat leaves Scotland's T20 World Cup hopes in the balance
The story of his original journey to Scotland back during the late-1970s/early-1980s – and how he came to fall in love with the place – illuminates a forward-looking and adaptable philosophy to life, which his many admirers in Scottish cricket hope can help build bridges and grow the sport at grassroots level over the next two years.
