NEW YORK. Oct 9 (India Abroad News Service): Sir Gur-lleld Sobers, the legendary West Indian cricketer and arguably the game's greatest allrounder. is heading another initiative to popularise cricket in the United States. At a banquet in his honour by the World Cricket League, Sobers accepted an opportunity to coach youngsters in New York, a scheme sponsored by insurance company, MetLife, starting next year. But he also expressed deep disappointment with the growth of the game and with the organisers.

"1 brought a topnotch West Indies team here in the 1970s. much before soccer was introduced in the United States," he said referring to the time his team played at the Meadowlands in New Jersey before a crowd of 16,000. "From that day. I thought the U.S. would come up. but..." The U.S. has participated in the last two soccer World Cups.

Sir Garfield said the U.S. team of the 1970s was vastly superior to the current one. and that team would today have qualified for the World Cup. The U.S. national team lost the ICC Trophy qualifying rounds in Kuala Lumpur last year. Sir Garfield once more led a West

Indies team to New York in the 1970s. this time playing at the Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, home of the fabled baseball team, the New York Yankees. But again, cricket's euphoria here died too soon. Mincing no words. Sri Garfield said the current situation owed to the "bickerings" of rival organisations in the country.

"It's time to get their act right." he declared, while nar-

rating his experiences with cricketers in the U.S. who have suffered owing to rivalry among organisations that govern the game in this country. He cited

in particular the case of a wicketkeeper in Florida who was not picked for the US squad that is participating in the Red Stripe Cup. tne leading first-class championship among the Caribbean nations. Sir Garfield did not name the cricketer but said many had told him that "he was even better than the West Indies wicketkeeper."

He delivered the sharp rebukes in between cricket anecdotes and fond reminscences that had the over 100 cricketloving audience, including senior diplomats from the Commonwealth . countries, spellbound. Sir Garfield recalled his deep friendship with Wes Hall, one of the greatest fast bowlers and currently his boss in the Barbados Tourism Authority. and his quaint experiences with him on field.

He recalled with pride his playing days, comparing cricket as it was to cricket as it is. not with bitterness but with grace and wit. WCL chief Max Shaukat and MetLife's vice president Shailendra Ghorpade presented him a lifetime ambassador award.

The evening also featured a video presentation on Sobers' finest moments in the game, including the six sixes he nit off an over from Malcolm Nash, a bowler for English county Glamorgan.