The golden era of cricket in West Indies was probably between the late 1950s to early 1990s. Apart from this aforementioned time period, the players have not been able to show the dedication, discipline and the masterclass that had once made the teams superior in all respects to any other test playing nation in the world. At their best they were no less than invincibles. Any journey towards greatness begins with an impossible and ends with an unforgettable… and here today, we embark on the journey in the land of the carribean.

These years of triumph was more than just a series of matches for the West Indies; those involved, knew that a special kind of pride was at stake, in what they did on the pitch.

“…they (fans) want the West Indies team to win every match they play so they can walk around feeling proud to be West Indian and go to their workplaces and walk in there feeling like somebody and they mean something” – Michael Holding (former West Indian fast bowler).

For West Indians, cricket has been a part of a struggle to escape a history disfigured by racial discrimination and ill-treatment of the (British) empire. When politicians had failed them, they had turned to their cricket teams to feel a sense of unity and nationalism.

“It didn’t begin with Viv Richards, this thing is a long, long story. There’s no shortcut. There’s much more to West Indies cricket than just hitting the cricket ball.” – Viv Richards (former West Indies batsman).

Cricket has always been an adhesive that binds the West Indies together. It is the only test playing nation which doesn’t represent one country. Consisting of ten different sovereign nations – Jamaica, the arc of caribbean islands including Antigua and Barbuda, St. Kitts and Nevis, Dominica, Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Grenada, Trinidad and Tobago and down to Guyana in the north-eastern part of South American continent. There is great strength in the diversity and style that each playing nation brings to the squad. A Jamaican or one from Antigua is generally aggressive with huge confidence; players from Barbados are generally known for their skill and concentration; a Trinidadian will better be out than stick at the crease, big-hitting is generally the characteristic flavour of Trinidad.

But as we go back into the 18th century when cricket was introduced in the West Indies, dark-skinned indigenous people were excluded from the “Gentleman’s Game”. Like every other aspect of society, cricket met the evil slavery and was in the firm grasp of the whites. The so-called blacks however had their particular share of work – like sometimes they were asked to fetch the balls which had disappeared into the ubiquitous cane fields, and when they threw the ball back to the field, they did it with all the strength they could muster, for it was the only chance they could use to show their power to their masters. As the game developed, they were called in to bowl to their white masters, and this became a huge challenge because now they had got the license to bowl to a person who owns them, the urge to prove that they were equal or maybe even superior to the white masters propelled them to be more accurate and skillful. After slavery was abolished in 1834, the West Indians were called into the playing eleven, alongside the white people. The 1906 team which visited England contained black West Indians but the racial stereotypes which had earlier dominated still prevailed and dictated specific roles for the whites and the blacks… like the blacks were not allowed to bat up the order, they were only allowed to bowl (which was then considered a menial task), they were only allowed to field close to the boundary to reduce communication and contact with the whites as much as possible.

Out of Trinidad in 1920s, emerged a cricketer who challenged this apartheid – Learie Constantine, who learnt to master every skill of the game in the Port of Spain’s pitches.

“Here was a man who could bat at number 4, could open the bowling and field at cover point. It was an absolute phenomenal achievement. He was a complete all round player.” – Prof. Hilary Beckles (University of West Indies). His aggressive and creative style of play, with athletic fielding and free flamboyant run-up to the wickets defined what type of cricket West Indies players would display years later. The 1928 team of West Indies which travelled to England were defeated 3-0 and Constantine knew a black captain was needed for the team to flourish.

Constantine’s constant encouragements to black players did not go in vain as a batsman from Jamaica emerged in the 1930s and challenged the stereotype that only white players could open the batting. George Headley, in 1935, batting at number 3 scored an unbeaten 270 for the West Indies and which led them to gain their first ever series victory over England in the carribean. George Headley at his peak was regarded by others as the “black Bradman” while the West Indians liked to call Bradman “white Headley”. Headley became more of an icon because of his humble background and the masses could identify him more beautifully. Headley and Constantine became the West Indian’s some of the first heroes and their achievements on the field led to the feeling that social and political change needed to be brought off the field as well.

Through the 1930s, demands for political independence and social reform gained prominence, and as the whites protested, the situation became exceedingly volatile and a series of demonstrations and general strikes swept across the land. However, all this struggle met a pause when the second world war started. The West Indians fought alongside the British to defend the empire, but when the war ended, they found that many people still lived in poverty, in ghettos where animals and humans coexisted in a primeval state.

One of the players to grow up in these ghettos was batsman Sir Everton Weekes, who later formed a deadly trio of batting with Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, popularly known as the three ‘W’s. The gully cricket he played in these clumsy spaces trained him to play exclusive shots down the ground rather than lofting it up in the air. Weekes, a poor boy from Bridgetown was not allowed inside cricket clubs like “The Wanderers” reserved specifically for the whites. He wasn’t recognized at clubs for West Indians because they wanted a professional qualification, and Weekes, who had left school at 14, didn’t have any. He thus joined the Briish army to play cricket. Weekes, who by the late 1940s had made a name for himself as a batsman was called into the national side when test matches resumed in 1948; and later that year on a tour to India, Weekes set a record for West Indian batsmen, scoring fie consecutive centuries. The 1950 England tour of West Indies, which Weekes was an integral part of, was of great signicance because just two years earlier, in 1948, SS Windrush sailed from Jamaica, bringing the first contingent of West Indians to Britain. Its arrival started a new era of mass migration who came for a new life in the mother country; Lord Kitchener, a famous singer of that period wrote on this occasion “London is the place for me.” And for West Indies cricket as well, though still captained by a white, the team consisted of some young players who would go on to dominate the game for the next decade.

And for the first time, diverse cultures were introduced in the team when fellow spinner from Trinidad, Sonny Ramadhin, (first player of east Indian descent to play for West Indies), teamed up with Alf Valentine to become a lethal duo and together they shocked England and claimed 18 wickets between them in the second test at Lords - after being 1-0 down in the series - and spinned the West Indies to their first ever test match victory on English soil. Lord Kitchener, again, penned this memory down in his song “Victory Calypso.” When the match ended, overjoyed West Indians followed singers Lord Kitchener and Lord Beginner onto the field for a victory parade, and thus earned the name “calypso cricketers.” For the rest of the series, the three ‘W’s tormented the English bowlers and in the third test at Trent Bridge, Worrel and Weekes put on a record 283 run stand, winning that match and the next, thus sealing a 3-1 series ictory and clinching “the rubber” for the first time.

This victory and some more in the coming years did become a great boost for migrant West Indians in England who were given mental support in their times of struggle. Not only that, it also rejuvinated the people’s struggle to get independence, and finally, in 1958, Britain decided to grant federation status to West Indies, with the hope that these carribean territories could forge a political and economic union to eventually gain inependence as a single West Indian nation.

Still being led by a white captain, they suffered losses at Australia and England but the three ‘W’s continued to show their masterclass. In 1957 at Trent Bridge, the innings of Frank Worrell – 191 not out was hailed as one of the finest innings seen on English soil after the war; even though West Indies went on to lose the series 3-0. Worrel howeer had emerged as an outstanding batsman and a leader and West Indians now had a serious candidate for captaincy. The newspaper read “ Frank Worrell is at the peak of his reputation not only as a cricketer but also as a master of the game. Respect for him has never been higher in his long and brilliant career.” The authorities finally agreed to let Worell become captain and team was all ready for their tour to Australia, which would later provide to be a historic one not only for the West Indies but for cricket, at large.

The team for the 1960 Australia tour included former captain Gerry Alexander, young batsmen Conrad Hunte and Rohan Kanhai, fast bowler Wes Hall and still a young player, one of the all time greats, Sir Garfield Sobers, who had already hit the headlines two years ago when he made 365 runs against Pakistan, the then highest individual score in test cricket, beating Sir Len Hutton’s record of 364. As a matter of fact, this was the first test century for the then 21 year old youngster. The first match for Worrell as captain in Brisbane would go on to become a cricket folklore, as it ended in a dramatic fashion to become the first test in cricket hsitory to result in a tie. Despite losing the series, Frank Worrell was hailed by the press as an inspirational leader, because of his own fine innings and for the entertaining cricket his side played. The campaign to appoint him as a leader was vindicated.

Back home, there was optimism in the minds of the West Indian people. With the federation and cricket team, they looked forward to becoming an independent nation. But within three years, cracks began to appear in the federation as Jamaica and Trinidad wanted a greater share of political power, which they argued, were a reflection of their greater economic contribution. In 1962, the federation officially collapsed and Jamaica and Trinidad were granted independence of their own. Leading West Indies in England in 1963, Worrell understood that the players were the only representation of the unity of West Indies. This side included Charlie Griffith, who paired with Wes Hall to became the epitome of aggressive and accurate fast bowling. West Indies won the series 3-1 in the series; and the end of the series marked the retirement of Frank Worrell, the baton of captaincy was passed to young prodigy, Sir Garfield (Garry) Sobers.

Cy Grant in his song ‘King Cricket’ writes –
“King cricket, king cricket… Garfield Sobers is his name
For cricket and West Indies, long may he reign.”

“He was, if not the best batsman of the time, close to that; if he was not the best fast bowler of his time, close to that, he certainly was one of the best spin bowlers. So he made a tremendous difference to whatever team he was playing in, you know it was obviously a much stronger team” – Deryck Murray (former West Indian wicket-keeper).

Sobers wrote himself into the record books when he became the first player to hit six sixes in an over while playing a county game for Nottinghamshire against Glamorgan. In the late 1960s West Indies, however, started losing matches regularly, and Sobers, the captain, was blamed. We often find examples that geniuses make poor leaders, because they are so self-contained, that they are not able to comprehend the complexities of mere mortals. Thus when it came to building srategies and controlling the team with a firm hand, even though batsman Sobers was still doing his job, captain Sobers lost his sharp edge. Sobers retired with West Indies in the decline. Their commitment to play entertaining cricket was now apprehended as lack of discipline and mental toughness. Playing with Sobers on his final tour was a young batsman of Guyana, Clive Lloyd, who was then given the task of restoring West Indies its previous shine and valour.

Lloyd, an excellent stroke player, despised the name “calypso cricketers”. He believed this brought a negative aspect to their game. He wanted West Indian players to be known for their sheer brilliance, discipline and dedication to the game rather than fellows who sing and dance.

In 1976, Lloyd led the West Indies to England, and his regime insisted on team unity and togetherness and he brought raw talent in the game like young fast bowler Michael Holding from Jamaica and batsman Gordon Greenidge from Barbados, and for the first time, two cricketers from the small island of Antigua were included – pace bolwer Andy Roberts and batsman Vivian Richards. Lloyd also made a special rooming arrangement –

“… always had a bowler with a batter, you neer had two Barbadians together, you had a Barbadian and a Trinidadian, so they became friends…” – Clyve Lloyd.

The previous year, Lloyd’s young team had been humiliated 5-1 in Australia by an excellent Australian side. And this time, before the series began, the then English skipper Tony Greig made a very unsportsmanlike remark. He said – “…you must remember that the West Indians, these guys, if they get on top, they are magnificent cricketers but if they are down,they grovel… and I intend… to make them grovel.”

Greig, years later remarked “I probably know more about facing West Indian fast bowlers than most because haing made that silly statement that I was gonna make them grovel, they I think bowled faster to me than they bowled to anyone else, and they did give it to me, they got stuck in and of course I was the one who ended up grovelling.”

Greig’s comments politicized the tour for West Indians liing in England. A generation after the Windrush had arrived, they were in the worst housings and poorest paid jobs and faced racial discrimination in every walks of life, be it aggressive police searching black youths or the rise of openly racist far-right groups. Batsman Viv Richards had lived in England while playing for Sommerset and faced discrimination first-hand; for him, cricket became a way of making a statement of solidarity with his countrymen.

“I can remember there was a vacancy for a particular flat, and it was written quite boldly ‘NO IRISH OR BLACK’, all these are reasons to state a statement that if you are so better than I am, you will be able to cut my *** when it comes to cricket… I have no regret in saying this, I don’t think there’s anyone on earth who is better than I am; so whatever you saw, the way that I walked out was because I am proud, it wasn’t arrogance as such, I am proud… and I am here to stay, God has given me this and I am going to administer the best way, they only way you can stop me is to shoot me dead; I don’t mind that either (chuckling).” – Viv Richards.

“Viv was good, and people knew he was good and he wanted other people to know that he was good, when he walked out to the crease, the swagger that he walked out there with… not that he was boastful but that he was trying to impose himself on the opposition” – Michael Holding.

Richards played a magnificent and flamboyant knock of 232, and in the final test at The Oval, he scored another glorious double hundred. England’s batting order was decimated by “the whispering death” Michael Holding, who took 14 for 149, including clean bowling Tony Greig. Losing 3-0 to the West Indies, England had no place to hide the shame.

“To give us our credit, when he (Greig) was walking out of the field for the last time, he went down on his knees, and crawled the last few steps…” – Michael Holding.

From 1976, the West Indies team seemed unstoppble, beating every test playing nation at that time and went on to win a consecutive World Cup in 1979.

But years later, slowly… steadily, West Indies stopped producing world class players… there came Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, the deadly duo resembling Griffith and Hall from the 60s, unparalled batsman Brian Charles Lara, who set a new test match high score of 400 not out, there has been Chris Gayle and his brilliant mindset, temperament and adaptibility to different formats of the game, but all these talents have not got an overall imposing team to showcase their brilliance in always contributing to the win. Despite that, West Indies has been once a superpower and continue to show glimpses of their royal past, and as a cricket fan myself, I would surely love to see the giants come strong again in these times of increased competition, because a match between two powehouse sides is always a delight for the eyes.

Millennials For Global Change