UWI Cave Hill Director Sir Hilary Beckles Under Fire for Calling Cricket Captain Chris Gayle a "Don" Like "Dudus"

UWI Cave Hill director Sir Hilary Beckles characterizes West Indies cricket team captain Chris Gayle as a "don," but isn't that comparing him to reputed drug don Dudus?

Sir Hilary Beckles, Principal UWI Cave Hill

University of the West Indies Cave Hill (Barbados) head Sir Hilary Beckles is under fire for characterizing West Indies Players Association board director Chris Gayle as a "don." Er, since when is the name "Don" synonymous with anyone other than a drug dealer, like Dudus? Beckles defended his comments saying he was merely outlining a public perception of some of the former cricket captains from Sir Frank Worrell to the present, the Jamaica Observer writes. No matter how he tried to clean it up, the damage has already been done and all WIPA heard loud and clear is the "don" label being sewn in the back of Chris Gayle's shirt. Doesn't this amount to slander? Is this another chapter in the brewing tensions between Barbados and Jamaica?

Sir Beckles, here's the definition of a "don:" The leader of a gang would be considered the don, usually a man who has many outside links, knows how to make money off criminal means and has lot of wisdom with mastering philosophy. Although, not every gang leader maintains these features.

"I stated clearly that 'these are the images before us'. At no time did I say that I believe these images to be true," the Nation newspaper quoted Sir Hilary as saying in a statement. "I insisted, however, as a social scientist that I have a duty to analyse these images, how they are constructed and how society reacts to them.

"I know that Sir Garry Sobers is not a king, Sir Vivian Richards a general, Brian Lara a prince or Chris Gayle a don because they are all fine professional cricketers whom I admire, but these metaphoric images are based on public observations and perception." Source: Jamaica Observer

As a child growing up in Jamaica, I remember my father playing a friendly game of cricket with other men in the community. It is a sport that was revered on the island, in the same tradition of track & field, so I cannot understand why anyone would malign anyone associated with the sport. I'm sure there are issues, since the West Indian team hasn't lived up to its full potential in recent years, but to characterize anyone associated with the sport, or any other sport, as a "don" is reprehensible and warrants an apology. Listen to the audio: