He had the debonair looks of a Hollywood movie cult, the fiery command as a senior police officer, the aggressive yet sporting leadership as an outstanding cricketer and a revered family man.
Former Singapore cricket skipper Reggie Da Silva, who played for All-Malaya in the 1960s and uniquely captained both Singapore and Malaysia, died of illness in Perth, Western Australia, on Tuesday.
He was simply more than just an iconic officer and gentleman.
He was 85 and family members say he battled with severe illness the past six months and was close to bed-ridden.
Television and radio personality Peter Boudewyn, whose mum Tess is older sister to Da Silva, confirms that the former Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), had been taken ill recently.
He says: âHeâs been medically uncomfortable for a few months. Heart, and towards the end, sepsis of the kidneys. In the last few weeks, his whole body was very painful. He was sedated and most of the time, he slept. But his heart gave out. He had a holy death. The good Lord was kind and took him away. I shall miss him but Iâm happy there is no more pain.â
Da Silva, with a phenomenal 34-year police career, who retired in 1985 and migrated to Perth, leaves behind wife, Shirley, and three siblings, Chris, Deborah and Geraldine.
âMOST TACTICAL CAPTAINâ
Singaporeâs top-ranking cricket boss, Imran Hamid, who is Deputy Chairman of ICC (International Cricket Council), salutes Da Silva as the âmost tactical captain I have played with, who strategists every game he led like a chess grandmasterâ.
Hamid, who is also Chairman of 95 Associate Members at ICC, the first for an Asian sports bureaucrat, says: âOff the field he was a raconteur of anecdotes that kept everyone entertained. He had a deep and insightful mind and a giving heart. I would rank him as an exceptionally talented cricketer who would be comparable even by international standards of his day.â
Former Singapore skipper Stacey Murthi (1979 to 1985), who played for 32 years from 1969 to 2001, describes Da Silva as âone of the most outstanding Asean cricketing greats, as an all-round batsman and bowlerâ. He adds: âHe was very upright, correct in the way he walks, he plays and standing up for cricket.â
Murthi vividly recalls how Da Silva, as Singapore skipper, gave him the âfirst major breakâ in the prestigious Civilians versus Services match in 1969 when he was a 16-year-old Victoria School lad. He says: âHe confidently gave me the ball to bowl and, unbelievably, I picked up six wickets against the multi-national Services team. A dream-come-true debut in a very big match.â
Singapore Cricket Association (SCA) President Mahmood Gaznavi, on behalf of the cricketing fraternity, offered condolences to the Da Silva family. He says: âI watched Reggie at his peak as a schoolboy. He was awesome in the field of play. He was very aggressive in his leadership style and yet outstandingly sporting in living up to the principles of cricket. He was certainly a very good role-model for the younger players to look up to.â
PROUD OF EURASIAN HERITAGE
Eldest son Chris, 61, a St Josephâs Institution (SJI) alumni like his late dad, recalls how he âembraced his Eurasian heritage and made a point of knowing the various linkages and relationships of various Eurasian familiesâ.
His passionate historical Eurasian spadework proved priceless as his mother died in India while they were refugees during World War Two. Da Silva was only 12 and put into boarding school at La Martiniere College in Lucknow as his father had remained in Singapore as a volunteer soldier.
Chris says: âDad enjoyed the very tough experience of boarding school and the camaraderie of like-minded boys.
He returned to Singapore in 1946 and enrolled at SJI. In the chaos of post-war Singapore, dad essentially brought himself up. He stayed with his only sister (Tess) after she married (Hal Boudewyn) at their house in Paterson Road, across from the Orchard Road Police Station, where ION stands today.
âIn the early years, he walked to school and back again for lunch and then again in the afternoon for sport and back again after. He said it was very good exercise. My dad lived a very simple life. He was extremely competitive and tried to do his best in all that he did.â
The late Da Silva was genuinely a âfamily man first and a great father to my sisters and meâ, says Chris, who was blessed to play competitive cricket with him from 1974, first in the Police team and in 1980, for the Singapore Cricket Club (SCC), in his last year before retirement.
âHe was always fair and supportive. He was the life of the party at family gatherings and took particular pleasure in leading the singing on festive occasions,â says Chris. âHe had a great voice. Dad had many friends that he enjoyed catching up with and did so as often as possible at his beloved SCC. He was a âmanâs manâ and loved a good chin-wag on a wide range of subjects with his mates and either a beer or whisky water close to hand (sometimes many of each!).
âHe was a great raconteur with a wicked sense of humour and a quick wit. Not given to beating around the bush, dad appreciated the friendship of independently minded people. He was an avid reader of all things, but particularly enjoyed historical tales from British, Indian, World Wars and Sports.â
Da Silvaâs memory was âclose to phenomenalâ, says Chris, as he had a unique ability to remember names, dates, places and events. He adds: âHe was often able to recall whole passages almost verbatim from books read even while at school.â
SPORTSMAN EXTRAORDINARY
A sportsman extraordinary, Chris hails his dad as an âextremely competitive manâ. He says: âHe worked and played hard, but always fairly being a strong believer in the credo of good sportsmanship. He was a natural at most sports and in addition to cricket, he played reasonable hockey, table tennis, badminton, tennis and squash.
He played golf in his retirement and regretted starting too late to get his handicap lower!â
Undisputably, the bat-and-ball sport of cricket was his favourite and at his playing heights, in the 1960s and 70s, he donned All-Malaya colours and captained Singapore as well as Malaysia in 1963 â the only gentleman-player to be double-honoured.
Chris says: âHe took pride in his on-field exploits particularly in saving Singapore against Malaysia on a few occasions. As a batsman, he was never dominated by any bowler and later, when he started bowling leg breaks, he became quite good at that, too. Not commonly known is that dad started off as fast bowler and hard-hitting lower order batsman.
âHe toured Western Australia with the Singapore schoolboys in 1949 and played only one out of the 12 matches. It was on this trip that he determined to play for Singapore before any of the others which he did (except for Alex Delikan who was selected at the same time). He was simply brilliant even then scoring heaps of runs, taking the most wickets and holding phenomenal slip catches.â
Former The Straits Times Sports Editor Godfrey Robert hails Da Silva as âone of the greatest sportsmen Singapore has producedâ. He adds: âA brilliant cricketer, with a spirited arrogance disguised in humility. He was a treat to watch both in batting and bowling and his belief in his own abilities allowed him to stand against the best in the region. He was a true sporting son of the soil, always doing proud for the country.â
Robert, who played competitive hockey, football and cricket, recalls his early days as a rookie journalist in the 1960s and meeting Da Silva. He says: âI was a young reporter when I interviewed him a few times, and never did he impose his rank or seniority on me, and treated me as equal, knowing full well that I had a job to do. I will miss his humour and wit.â
TOP COP WITH 34-YEAR CAREER
As an elite award-winning cop, Da Silva evoked the law, without fear or favour, but was revered by the rank and file because of his absolute humility. In his 34-year police career, starting in 1951, he retired as Acting Deputy Commissioner of Police (Operations), one of the most senior posts for a Singapore-born Eurasian and later migrated to Perth.
Retired Deputy Superintendent (DSP) Amarjeet Singh praises: âTo me, he appeared to be an officer who looked like a British Raj officer with his wonderful personality. I had the privilege to work with him on three occasions, in 1967 when he was Officer Commanding, Joo Chiat Police Station. In the mid 70s, when he was Director Police Training and in 1984 when he was DC Ops and I was attached to the Gurkha Contingent.â
Smilingly, Amarjeet recalls greeting him at the Senior Police Officersâ Mess (SPOM). He says: âWhen Reggie walked in, I got up and wished him. He scolded me for getting up, saying: âAmarjeet, there is no rank in the mess. Weâre all members.â He later joined us for a drink. In a nutshell, Iâd say heâs truly a great sportsman, gentleman and a very knowledgeable officer.â
Triple sports international Mohanavelu Neethianathan, a retired police officer who played hockey, football and cricket for Singapore, praises: âAs a cop and gentleman, Reggie was truly unmatched. He was very well respected . Very sound with the Policy Practices Procedures and he always led from the front. Indeed a rare breed of such class and skill.
âCricket-wise, he was a very technically correct batsman who excelled well, too, as an unorthodox leg spinner garnering several key wickets. He was a super wicketkeeper both with Police and Singapore. He had an immaculate line and length mesmerising the batsmen with the spin, too. Above all, I must say he was a very fierce competitor on the field.â
Singapore Indian Association (SIA) newly-minted President V.V. Giri says: âGreat cricket captain and icon. He understood the team that he led and his opponents. I remember he played very hard and significantly ranked as an off-field gentleman.â
Funeral arrangements are underway in Perth and the late Da Silva will be cremated sometime early next week, says the family.
There will seldom ever be another Reggie Da Silva â a rarity with the gifted looks of a Hollywood movie hero, the passionate command as a senior police officer, the aggressive yet classic leadership as an outstanding cricketer and, to top it all, a revered family man, who adored wife, Shirley, and three chips off the good âole block: Chris, Deborah and Geraldine.
Rest in Peace, Reggie Da Silva. â BY SURESH NAIR
Suresh Nair is a Singapore-based sports journalist, who ironically never played cricket (!) but was a proud St Josephâs Institution (SJI) alumni like the late Da Silva and his son, Chris.
