Jamaican contemporaries of the late Michael ‘Joey’ Carew, West Indies opener and selector, are remembering him not just for his services to West Indies and Trinidad and Tobago cricket, but as a fine human being around whom laughter and fun were never far away.

“He was a fellow you enjoyed being around,” said Easton McMorris, with whom Carew alternated as opening partner to the legendary Conrad Hunte on West Indies tours of England in 1963 and 1966.

“He (Carew) loved his cricket and always with a great sense of humour,” added McMorris.

Jackie Hendriks, the acclaimed West Indies wicketkeeper of the 1960s who often roomed with Carew on tour, recalled the Trinidadian as one “who loved life and lived it to the fullest”.

“Joey loved his horseracing, and to be perfectly honest with you between cricket and horseracing, I don’t know which one had the edge,” said a chuckling Hendriks.

That capacity to make others laugh also left a mark on Maurice Foster who played against the Carew-led Trinidad and Tobago in the late 1960s and early ’70s.

“I remember one game when Joey told his fast bowler Prince Bartholomew not to bowl at my leg stump because everyone knew I was good out of my pads. But Bartholomew bowled three balls in a row on my leg stump and I hit all three for four. Upon which, Joey shouted to his bowler ‘tell mi something, yu like that shot?'” said Foster.

Carew, who died at his home in Port of Spain on Saturday at age 73, scored 1,127 runs in 19 Tests for the West Indies with one century at an average of 34.15. A solid, attractive lefthander, Carew’s most successful period as a Test batsman came on tour of Australia in 1968-69 — scoring 427 runs in five Tests for an average of 47.44. He followed up with his only Test century against New Zealand at Auckland in early 1969.

Batting skills apart, Carew gained acclaim as an outstanding captain of Trinidad and Tobago leading his country to back-to-back regional first-class titles. In later life he served for many years as a West Indies selector, and at the time of his retirement in 2006, was said to be the longest serving selector.

Carew is credited for significantly influencing the career of the West Indies champion batsman of the 1990s and 2000s, Brian Lara.

Hendriks, himself a Jamaica captain in the 1960s, described Carew “as a very good player, a very thoughtful cricketer and a good captain who didn’t brook stupidness from his players”.

Said Hendriks: “Joey had a very good cricket brain, he enjoyed cricket discussions, but he couldn’t abide people talking cricket and talking stupidness”.

Hendriks suggested that Carew’s tendency to speak his mind often put him at odds with personalities in the West Indies Cricket Board and caused him to be “in and out of the selection panel”.

McMorris, like Hendriks a former Jamaica captain, claimed Carew was one of the “best captains” in his time. “He never gave or expected any quarter,” said McMorris.

As a selector, said McMorris, Carew was aided by his great knowledge and love of cricket. “I used to look forward to re-uniting and sitting with Joey when he came to Jamaica as a selector,” said McMorris.

Foster who toured England with Carew in 1969 recalled that the older man was always willing to guide younger players. “I remember after one game against T&T when I made 70-odd, we were having a few drinks in the evening and Joey called me aside to point out a few things I had done wrong… he was that kind of man,” said Foster.