The funeral service for the late West Indies great Sir Everton Weekes will be held at the Kensington Oval in Barbados on July 31, according to media reports in Barbados. He is to be buried alongside greats Clyde Walcott and Frank Worrell on the University of the West Indies Cave Hill campus.

Weekes, who made his debut for the West Indies in January 1948 and played 59 Tests in an illustrious career, died on July 1, 2020. Weekes, who was 95, had been ailing for some time after suffering a heart attack in early 2019.

Dean at the St Michael’s Cathedral Reverend Jeffrey Gibson will do the sermon while Professor Hilary Beckles will read the eulogy. Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley is to read a lesson during the proceedings.

 Tributes to the great man will come from Cricket West Indies (CWI), the Barbados Cricket Association, The Legends of Barbados, The Empire Cricket Club, the Barbados Bridge Club as well as family members.

It is hoped that members of the current West Indies squad will also be in attendance. The West Indies are expected to arrive back in the Caribbean on July 30.

During the 1950s, Weekes, Walcott and Worrell formed a troika that helped provide the Caribbean side with the most intimidating batting line up in world cricket. However, Weekes the shortest of the three was the best of them averaging 58.61 during a career that lasted a decade before persistent injury forced his retirement in 1958.

He scored 4455 Test runs that included 19 centuries and 19 fifties.

In January 1949, Weekes set a record when he scored his fifth century in consecutive innings, a record that still stands today.