During the 2010 International Cricket Council (ICC) Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, he visited every match the West Indies team played and supported the youngsters. He was full of life and always brought a smile to the players.But Simpson Clairmonte Guillen is no more, as this lovable soul passed away in New Zealand Friday night (T&T time).
Guillen, 88, died of lung cancer, his nephew Jeffrey Guillen reported. Jeffrey said: "He passed away at home in Christchurch, New Zealand after battling with the disease for the past 15 months. He was a great man, full of life, and I was fortunate to meet him on the three occasions he visited Trinidad. The last time he was here was in 2011 and we held a function for him where he was able to meet of number of old friends with whom he had played cricket."
Simpson's great-nephew Justin Guillen plays for the T&T cricket team and was given the news while in St Kitts with the local team, where they have just won their four-day match against the Leeward Islands.A solid wicketkeeper and useful batsman, Simpson, better known as Sammy, was one of only 14 men to play Test cricket for two countries (the two most recent being Kepler Wessels and John Traicos). Guillen played five Tests for the West Indies in Australia in 1951-52 before taking up residence in New Zealand and playing for Canterbury.
Just under four years later he played three Tests for New Zealand against the West Indies (they raised no objection despite Guillen not having fully completed the four-year residency in his adopted country). There was no animosity either. "They all formed a ring, took their caps off and gave me three cheers," he later recalled. "I could have been out right there and then, I felt so emotional."
The last act of his career was a historic one: Guillen stumped Alf Valentine to seal New Zealand's first ever Test victory, for which they had waited 26 years and 45 matches. He retired immediately after the match.
