WEST INDIES-THE GREATEST- 26^TH Nov.,1992-The Express

We have talked a lot about the Pakistanis and the Indians. It is time now to talk of the mighty ones, of course the West Indians who go into action against the Australians tomorrow at Brisbane in the first of the five test match series between the two countries.

None can boast of the magnanimity and majesty of cricket as the West Indians. The most fascinating aspect of the post war cricket has been the brilliance displayed by the West Indians.

They dominated the cricket world with their super athleticism. From 1976 onwards the West Indians have contested 29 Rubbers against 5 test playing nations winning or squaring 27 of them while losing only 2.

That was once against the Indians who scratched 1-0 in a six test series when the West Indians had put up a mediocre team led by Alvin Kallicharan in the absence of the stars who were then involved with Kerry Packer in Australia.

Second time it was against New Zeland in 1979-80 when the New Zeland umpires played havoc with them and had their side snatch the series 1-0. Otherwise in the past 16 years West Indies have recorded 62 wins, 17 losses,  47 draws and 1 tie in the 127 tests contested by them.

It was in the year 1928 that the first West Indies team landed in England. They consisted of the great batsman George Headley and pace men Manny Martindale and Learie Constantine who heralded the things to come.

However it was in the year 1950 that they signaled their advance spectacularly beating England three one on English soil. The team had three Barbadians of terrific talent, all born within 3 miles and 18 months of each other-namely Clide Walcott, Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell. They also had two spinners in Sonny Ramadhin and Alf Valentine. While the three Ws piled up the runs the two spinners took wickets left, right and center.

The watershed of West Indies cricket was the appointment of Frank Worrell as the first official black captain. Within no time West Indies were regarded as the champions of the world. They played their cricket with greater sense of freedom and enjoyment than any other nation and under Worrell’s captaincy became a more disciplined side.

The West Indies cricket also blossomed an enigma called Garfield Sobers whose all round brilliance startled the cricket world.

There was also the fabulous Rohan Kanhigh whose falling sweep seduced spectators, he played the stroke prostrating on the ground and the ball racing to the fine leg boundary.

Lance Gibbs took over the mantle from Ramadhin and Valentine. The ferocity of their pace men Roy Gilchrist, Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith scared batsmen all around the world.

The West Indian power faded later in the late sixties and early seventies but for a shorter while. Under Clive Lloyd’s captaincy emerged super batsman Vivian Richards and a quartet of fiery pace men in Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Colin Croft and Joel Garner. It was further consolidated by the arrival of Malcolm Marshall.

The cricket world was at their feet. The World Cups, all those one day international tournaments and the test series were dominated by the West Indians.

Sadly today the West Indies cricket is affected by the geography of the Caribbean and the inter island rivalries. For example Jamaica is 1300 miles from Barbados which is nearly 500 miles from Guyana.

During the beginning of the year when South Africa toured West Indies and played at Barbados the Barbadians boycotted the test match as the Antigan Richie Richardson had been preferred as captain to the experienced Barbadian Desmond Haynes. Also the local hero Anderson Cummins was omitted for the test.

Another sad aspect of West Indies cricket is that interest in the game is dwindling. The youths seem more fascinated by such games as American baseball and basketball that get televised live to them.

Gone are the days of West Indies when other teams shudder at the mere mention of them. The pace quartet of Curtly Ambrose, Ian Bishop, Courtney Walsh and Patrick Patterson is menacing but not as formidable as that of the past.

The West Indies record against Australia reads - wins 24, losses 29, draws 18 and tie one. But West Indies since 1976 have remained unvanquished in 7 Rubbers winning 17 tests, drawing 9 and losing only 5.

Tomorrow’s test starts at Brisbane that in 1960 recorded the first ever tie and gets dubbed as the greatest test ever.

Australia needing 233 to win slumped to 92 for 6 but recovered to 227 for 7 requiring only 6 runs to win off Hall’s last over. The Australians managed only 5 and that tied the match. In the process they lost 3 wickets of which 2 were super run outs. There were only 4100 people at Brisbane on that day but when West Indies played the last test at Melbourne there was a crowd of 90,000. It was the renaissance of test cricket.

Half a million Australians lined the streets of Melbourne on 17^th February, 1961 to bid farewell to Worrell and his team. The Australians had won the series but that was not relevant. As Wisden reported, “Commerce in Melbourne stood still as the smiling cricketers from the West Indies, the vanquished not the victors, were given a send off to the like of which is normally reserved for Royalty and National heroes.” 

One of cricket's most famous moments- the first test to be tied ends with mckiff's runout.