Tributes pour in for late former CWI president Patrick Rousseau

Minister of Sport, Olivia ‘Babsy’ Grange:

“I’ve received the very sad news of the passing of Pat Rousseau, the former president of the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Much like our great players, Pat Rousseau was a great figure in West Indies cricket and he will be remembered as one of the greatest administrators of the game.

There were many important developments in West Indies cricket under his watch, including staging of the Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean, the corporate transformation of the WICB to Cricket West Indies, which led to improvements in many areas, including the financial situation of the regional organisation, among others.

Pat Rousseau served well and made a considerable difference in the administration of cricket in the West Indies.

I offer sincerest condolences to his family and to the cricket fraternity in Jamaica and throughout the region at this time.”

Cricket West Indies president Ricky Skerritt:

Pat was a strong man, always very focussed and determined. He was a sharp legal and business mind, and it was reflected during his time in charge of the organisation between 1996 and 2001.

He was passionate about his work, he loved life, he was a keen follower of sport, leading to him and Dehring launching SportsMax, the first subscription television network broadcasting sport programming to the entire Caribbean, and he was a great mentor to many people. He will be missed.

On behalf of the directors, management and staff of Cricket West Indies, we honour his legacy and his contribution to the game in the Caribbean and mourn his loss alongside his family, friends, and the people of Jamaica.

Jamaica Cricket Association (JCA), president Wilford ‘Billy’ Heaven:

“It’s a sad day for cricket. Pat is somebody that I know for a good while now. We have had several discussions on the development of cricket in Jamaica. We have had discussions on the legal aspects of it. He has advised me a lot of times on how to proceed on certain matters. Take out his administrative involvement in cricket, he was an ardent supporter of the game. The fraternity of cricket, generally, will miss him and will miss his input. I had a discussion with Pat just before our (JCA) election in February. It was a good discussion and he’s always been there to support cricket and Billy Heaven. So he’ll be dearly missed. We wish his family and friends all the best and our sincerest condolences.

Cricket West Indies Corporate Governance Committee chairman Don Wehby:

It was with great sadness that I learnt that my friend and mentor for many years, Mr Pat Rousseau, has passed. He was a great sounding board for me, not only in business, but when I served (as head of the Audit and Risk Compliance Committee, between 2014 and 2016) on the West Indies Cricket Board. I want to express my sincere condolences to his family and all of the business and sporting community in Jamaica for the loss of a great man. He was truly a great Jamaican icon.