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As India get set, one hopes Windies cricket rises again
The name West Indies conjures up past images of cricket played at its expansive best. As India begin their tour of the Caribbean islands, nostalgia floods the mind,
The name West Indies conjures up past images of cricket played at its expansive best. As India begin their tour of the Caribbean islands, nostalgia floods the mind, reminding one of some of the most glorious moments in international cricket.
The present may not mirror the past and it is a rude jolt to awaken to the reality of West Indian cricket no longer being a dominant force, the odd success, especially in T20 cricket, notwithstanding. Yet, I know of no one, especially of a generation that followed cricket closely from the sixties, who does not fervently wish for a revival of that past which symbolised the best attributes of cricket and sports.
From my early memory of cricket, the line “the bowler is finding for himself how difficult it is to bowl to Sobers in this mood” from the BBC Test match special still resonates in my ears, though the event took place in 1974. Gary Sobers then was almost a shadow of himself being in the twilight of his career, but his awesome legacy was taken forward by Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Brian Lara and a torrent of fast bowlers who could flatten the best of teams without batting an eyelid.
SUPER VIV
Among this great tribe, Richards, called the “Smokin Joe” for his intimidating, boxer-like physique, was the ultimate in combining arrogance with grace and power with delicacy, reminding the best of bowlers with his audacious strokes, who the master was. Wasim Akram, among the all-time best fast bowlers in the world, summed up Richards in these lines: “When you ran up to bowl to him, you feared humiliation as he could hit even the best ball of your life, even on the most difficult track, out of the park with complete nonchalance.”
The Lloyd-Richards era was also the most productive time for West Indies as no other team was a patch on them, in talent, self-confidence, winning streak, and above all, in providing rich entertainment to the crowd.
Just as cricket as a sport needed more teams to expand its limited base, West Indies slumped. So dramatic has been the fall that sociologists and historians are grappling to find reasons for their decline. They range from the complete collapse of colonialism, where the Black pride against their White masters is no longer a major inspiration, the influence of American sports to the rivalries among the various islands that come together as one team for the sake of cricket.
Whatever the reasons, there is no follower of the game, be it in India or elsewhere, who does not bemoan this fall with a tear in his eye. Even the worst critics of T20 cricket celebrated when West Indies won the World Cup this year. When Dwayne Bravo sang “Chompions, chompians, we are the chompions,” with the verve and vigour which only a West Indian can bring to life, the world was once again reminded of the awesome legacy of their past and what we have missed in recent years.
Even at the risk of being called anti-national, I am sure there would be many who won’t mind India losing the present series if it leads to the revival of the great tradition of West Indies cricket.
