The eccentric genius English poet Percy Bysshe Shelley wrote his famous poem "Ode to the West Wind" not long before his tragic death. Today I write my Ode to the West Indies as another tragic struck with the team with a past glory being defeated by minnows Scotland. It was sad to see the sunset of the mighty Windies. The West Indies cricket team, the winner of the inagural limited over Cricket World Cup in 1975 followed by 1979 and being upset in the finals of 1983 version of by India, it failed to qualify for the World Cup to be held in the same it lost in 1983 later this year. It is sad saga of a conglomerate of Caribbean nations which dominated the Cricket fields in the 1970s and 1980s during our growing up days. Never in my wildest of dreams I thought of the might Windies relegated to this stage during my lifetime. It is akin to see Brazil not qualifying in a Football (Soccer) World Cup.
This slide didn't happen all of a sudden. West Windies has been in a constant stage of decline since middle of 1980s. Some blame it on the invasion of American television in the 1980s which brought NBA (Basketball league) and Baseball leagues from American soil closer to Carribeans homes which provided them with an alternate option. And it wasn't such a bad option when these American sports provided much more money than cricket closer to home. Soccer also started getting a foot step in the isles of West Indies. Interest in cricket suffered and thus began the downfall of the mighty Windies.
The rise of the West Windies as a cricket powerhouse commenced immediately after World War II, with its famous 3 Ws, Frank Worrell, Everton Weekes and Clyde Walcott building the foundation of a great Cricketing future by their anchoring roles. Soon came the legendary Wes Hall, who is arguably the pioneer of West Indies fast bowling, followed by the great All Rounder Garry Sobers.
By middle of 1970s, the West Indies were the team to beat, vindicated by winning the first ever Cricket World Cup held in 1975. Four years later, they again won in 1979, the pinnacle of their continuing success story - a team propelled by a rechargeable battery of fast bowler quartet, backed by a bunch of talented batsmen led by the indomitable Vivian Richards whom I consider as the best batsman of the era ahead of Sunil Gavaskar. Imran Khan admitted that Viv Richards was the best batsman he ever bowled against who could hook Imran's fastest of bouncers out of the roped.
There are several horror stories of the West Indian fast bowlers in an age sans helmet. Bishen Singh Bedi, India's captain declared its innings in 1976 in Kingston, Jamaica afraid that his lower order batsmen and prized spinners might get injured facing the fiery Michael Holding. In the summer of same year the same speedster pounded a brave Brian Close all over his body barely missing his helmetless head which could have caused the batsman grievous injury, even death. In 1985, Patrick Patterson made the life of the life of the visiting team's Mike Gatting a hell creating red spots over the later's body forcing the Englishman whine - "A day will come some one will get killed on the field".
This trend continued till mid 1980s, when the spirited West Indies side convincingly won many Test and One Day matches and series, both at home and abroad, similar to the Brazilians in soccer during the heydays of Pele. The only blotch was the Prudential World Cup held in 1983, when the much favored Windies apple cart was upset by the 40-1 outsiders India in the final. It was more of a fluke, as in the following winter, the visiting West Indians vanquished the Indians at the later's home in the 1983-84 series considered as the revenge series by the Windies against the Indians who snatched the Prudential World Cup trophy right under their nose.
Many Indian batsmen feared the fiery Malcolm Marshall who went through the Indian batting line up like a hot knife through butter. I remember an Indian spinner and low order batsman named Raghuram Bhatt scared to death of Marshall, slowly drifting away couple of feet from the wicket when bowler ran towards him. A few months later in the summer 84, making a whitewash of the English team in the test series in England, the West Indies yet vindicated their invincibility.
But a year later, in early 1985, the first sign of the vulnerability of the mighty Windies was visible in the Champions Cup held in Australia and won by India. Chasing a paltry score set by the newcomers Sri Lankans under a floodlit MCG in a league game, their batsmen Richie Richardson and Larry Gomes found themselves retired hurt, with the later coming out of the field with a bloody mouth and missing tooth from bouncers bowled by a rookie Rumesh Ratnayake - so much so that, Clive Lloyd at the other end called in for helmet. The West Indies eventually managed to eke out a win against the minnows and reached the Semi final, where they lost easily to Pakistan. For the first time in cricket history of limited over cricket, they failed to reach the final of a major tournament.
Interestingly, Pakistan had a hand in seeing the fall of the mighty Windies. Not because the Pakistanis were unbeatable those days - rather in next few years the Windies were seen either struggling or losing against them, more often than against any other team. The first was during the West Indies tour of Pakistan in 1986, when the hosts managed to draw their test series, a once in a blue moon event those days by any team against the Windies.
The next was the 1987 World Cup held in the Indian subcontinent. Pakistan defeated West Indies in a crucial game, when Abdul Qadir hit the famous last over 6 off the economic Courteney Walsh. It was now conspicuous, that the famous West Indies quartet of fast bowlers were now reduced to the duet of Ambrose and Walsh rather than a quartet. In another first time in history - West Indies failed to make to the semifinals of a World Cup.
It was Pakistan, again during their tour of Carribeans in 1988 exposed the myth of West Indian invincibility at home. In more than a decade the Carribeans looked struggling in their own backyard. Pakistan almost snatched a historic test series win, the 3 test series ending with a 1-1 draw, with the 3rd test the home team managing to hang on to a draw, with the touring Pakistanis almost snatching away a victory. It could have been a fitting finale to Imran's captaincy, who earlier fulfilled his dream of defeating India in India and England in England. A victory against West Indies in West Indies which would have been a feather on his cap, came close but was elusive. For the West Indians, it was harbinger of an era when they were no more viewed as invincible.
Soon the greats like Richards, Greenidge and Haynes retired one after another, their replacements could never replace them. The battery of fast bowlers slowly dissipated. By the advent of 1990s and with arrival of South Africa into the international arena, the Calypsos were no more the King of Cricket. They were just another team.
It is said that a win in a major tournament shruggs off the jades nerves of a team, inspiring them to prepare themselves for further success. Hope came alive a few years ago as West Indies won a T20 World Cup, their second. Some thought it would catapult the Carribeans back to the future of their glorious past.
With a few nations playing quality cricket now with Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka looking more like teams not worthy of a test playing nation status by virtue of their current performance, a resurgent Windies should have brought back some Calypso music into the glorious game of Cricket, replicating the halcyon days at their peak. But sad we are seeing the sunset of the mighty Windies. It again reminds me "Nothing beside remains. Round the decay Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare...", from Shelley's other iconic poem Ozymandias.
No comments:
Post a Comment