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The most distinctive and widely heard sound in West Indies cricket fell silent on Monday.

Rawle Keller, the jovial Trinidadian policeman who blew his conch shell for more than 30 years at the Queen's Park Oval and, latterly at Kensington as well to cajole, inspire and celebrate his beloved West Indies team, died of a heart attack in Port-of-Spain.

Keller, along with his twin brother Russell and Gabriel Blue Food Lafond, made the Concrete (now officially the Learie Constantine) Stand known throughout the cricket world with blasts from their conchs to extol a West Indian wicket, boundary or anything that pleased them.

Just occasionally, a blow would follow a piece of opposition brilliance.

On those occasions he was condemned to silence by lengthy, wicketless periods for the West Indies, Keller would shout, in a voice as resounding as his conch: I want to blow, but I can't blow.

It would be followed by, We want a wicket, in case any player failed to comprehend the first message.

West Indies cricket has been enriched by its many characters over the years. Keller was one. He and the sound of his conch will be missed.

© The Barbados Nation