By Tony McWatt
As a marked departure from the norm and maybe even as a bit of Canadian cricket history,
the cover of this month’s Wickets April 2022 Issue features, for the very first time in the
publication’s now almost five years of existence, a politician. The City of Brampton, Ontario’s
distinguished Mayor turned Federal Progressive Conservative Party Leadership Candidate
Patrick Brown is the individual whose smiling portrait now graces the cover of this Wickets Issue.
Patrick Brown’s history-making receipt of such an hour, arguably the very first incidence of a
politician’s photo ever having graced the cover of a Canadian nationally circulated cricket magazine,
comes in deserving recognition of the outstanding support he has provided to cricket since his 2018
Election as Brampton City Mayor.
In the four years that have passed since then, Brown has blazed
a trail as a trendsetter in providing a level of support for cricket that has never ever before been
experienced and enjoyed by any other Canadian city. Increased City support for cricket was high among the many pledges Browne made while campaigning for the Mayor’s position. Quite unlike the universally acknowledged characteristic of politicians as individuals who typically promise voters that which they most want
to hear, only to later renege completely on their actual fulfilment delivery of such promises once their desired voting support had been secured, Brown proved himself to be a man of the highest integrity just as soon as he’d assumed office.
Under Patrick Brown’s stewardship as its Mayor, the City of
Brampton has provided levels of infrastructural support for
cricket that again, arguably, have never been matched by any
other Canadian municipality. Brampton now proudly boasts
more turf-wicket equipped and lighted playing fields than any
other city in all of Canada. Brown’s outstanding support has
even been extended to the level of his insistence that the
City should completely refurbish all of its field maintenance
equipment as a means of ensuring that the grass on its
cricket grounds, the numbers of which have been constantly
increasing is cut to the sport’s most optimally required
levels.
Brown’s stated intention when he assumed his mayoral
responsibilities was to transform Brampton’s cricket from its
previous status as a neglected, disregarded sport to that as
one of the City’s most vibrant. That stated intention was a
direct consequence of Brown’s recognition and appreciation
that for very many of Brampton’s residents, hailing as they
were from Commonwealth countries such as India, Pakistan
as well as the member territories of the Caribbean cricket
was in actuality their preferred sport.
The extent to which Patrick Brown has succeeded in
fulfilling his stated intention to a most outstanding degree
is evidenced by Brampton’s now well established, but still
unofficial reputation as Canadian cricket’s capital City. What has been
even more admirable of Brown’s endeavours on behalf of the sport
are the partnerships he’s formed with the local governing Association,
the Brampton & Etobicoke District Cricket League (BEDCL) and its
Member Clubs.
Brown’s very close personal friendship and outstanding working
relationship with BEDCL’s longstanding President, Guyana-born, Praim
Persaud, has been a vitally important factor of influence towards the
The city’s outstanding provided infrastructural support for cricket. Browne
has unashamedly relied very heavily on Persaud’s knowledge and
experience while championing cricket’s needs to his fellow Brampton
City Council members.
Brown’s departure from the City of Brampton Mayor’s office in his
quest to seek the higher glory of being elected as the Progressive
Conservative Party’s Federal Leader will undoubtedly be a bit of a
blow to Canadian cricket. Should he become successful in his bid
Brown has, however, pledged to continue his now-legendary fighting
efforts on behalf of cricket at the national level.
Towards that end, we would now, of course, duly extend to him our
very best wishes. We would also hope that our bestowed honour
of having his photo grace this Issue’s cover is appreciated by all as a
most accurate reflection of the deserving outstanding esteem in which
Patrick Browne should now be held by all cricket-loving Canadians!