Rev. Hall, who held the post of president for the last two years, did not seek re-election on health grounds and it was with a tinge of melancholy that he demitted office.

Representatives of each territorial board paid tribute to Rev. Hall during the board meeting and thanked him for his contribution to West Indies cricket. They all acknowledged he assumed office at a difficult period in the WICB and succeeded in molding a united board healing most, if not all, of the wounds of disunity.

Such was Rev. Hall’s impact upon the WICB directors that several hoped that the new president now to be elected on September 30 will carry on his legacy of unity and that he too, would have similar support from directors.

They noted his skilful chairmanship of board of directors’ meetings over the last two years. Many outlined that even with some of the most difficult issues he made it quite a pleasure to be in attendance.

The directors also acknowledged Rev. Hall’s leadership in the area of cricket development and his unswerving commitment to all levels of West Indies cricket, including the women’s version that has emerged as a force under his presidency.

Rev. Hall’s strength of character and representation in dealing with the International Cricket Council, the sport’s world governing body, also received high praise.

His interaction with many of the personalities at the ICC was done in the only way Rev. Hall knows how and the respect for West Indies cricket which he won at the international level was unprecedented.

One of the areas of operation that proved contentious over Rev. Hall’s two-year reign was his relationship with the players. Yet, Dinanath Ramnarine, President of the West Indies Players’ Association, also held the outgoing president in high regard.

At a special farewell dinner held in his honour on the Saturday evening of the board meeting, Ramnarine conceded there were some difficult moments in relations between the WICB and the WIPA over the last two years.

He said, however, that through it all Rev. Hall had always made it his business to seek the best for the players and had established an excellent relationship, even friendship, with many of them.

Rev. Hall also received gifts from two of the WICB’s leading sponsors during the dinner. Cable & Wireless gave him a new mobile phone with a generous amount of airtime, and Shell gave him a convenience fuel card with a similarly generous cash limit.

In response to the tributes paid to him, Rev. Hall thanked everyone for their support over the last two years. He admitted that they had been some challenging times and he made some mistakes, but he had always sought the best interest of West Indies cricket.

Rev. Hall said it was a privilege to have served West Indies cricket in this way and he pledged his continued support and involvement in any way during the future.