A Windies resurgence will buoy Tests
FRESH STANCE? Signals emerging from the Caribbean are delightfully encouraging for true lovers of the game GARRY SOBERS
Stadium. My favourite West Indian then was the dashing Rohan Kanhai of ‘falling hook’ fame. But Sobers stole the show, picking up five wickets bowling fast and spin, and scoring two sizzling half centuries, the one in the second innings at scorching pace so that he be at the horse races at Mahalaxmi on time!
RISE AND FALL
What made a greater impact than Sobers’s all-round prowess, however, was him calling back Budhi Kunderan after the umpire had declared the batsman caught in the leg trap. Sobers indicated to the umpire he had taken the ball on the half volley. I was 11 and impressionable. That gesture of sportsmanship made me a cricket tragic for life.
Over the next two decades, West Indies cricket went from strength to strength, reaching the acme under Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards in the 1970s and 1980s, till the decline began in the late 1980s: almost imperceptibly at first, then alarmingly, reaching its lowest point in the last decade.
What caused this is difficult to pinpoint. Inter-island rivalry (cricket is the only sport all Caribbean islands combine for, every other sport they compete as independent nations) and the internecine politicking this inevitably leads to, and souring of relations between players and the administration are strong factors.
Poor management also meant inadequate financial rewards for players. A fractious relationship between administration and talent led to players leaving the fold readily. There was mass defection to the Packer Circus and later, many went to South Africa on a rebel tour.
PATH FORWARD
The biggest problem, however, has perhaps been the lack of a robust grassroots development program that could supply quality players regularly. The reason why cricket in India, Australia and England thrives – despite issues of administration – is because this aspect has been superbly cared for.
T20 leagues, the bane of traditionalists, has seen some kind of turnaround in recent years. Prospects of a decent livelihood has seen youngsters in the Caribbean flocking back to cricket instead of deserting it. With money coming in, supply of more talent holds out hope that it will get better from here. It would be premature to aver that West Indies cricket, struggling badly for the last 25-odd years, has been revived. But the signals emerging are delightfully encouraging for true lovers of the game. And if this form can be sustained, it will not only reconfigure the power matrix of cricket, but also invigorate the five-day format.
Fingers crossed! was the reason why I became a cricket fan, after watching his wondrous skills in first Test (1966-67) at Brabourne.