West Indies Cricket system needs complete overhaul

ByM.Ramcharitar

For the first time in 48 years, two-time Champions West Indies will not be part of the 50 Over (ODI) World Cup – India Oct/Nov 2023. The need for a complete overhaul of the current development structure of first-class cricket in countries that make up the West Indies is essential to have a strong foundation at the domestic level.Arobust first-class cricket system helps in the development of talented players and providesaplatformforthem to gain experience and showcase their skills in the whiteballformats-50overs andT20respectively

After losing their way over the last view decades, due to lack of proper developmental and preparationsystemofyoung players, this results in poor batting/bowlingandfielding techniques. Go back in time and take a page out of India book(firstclasscricket),that has led to constant success and sustainability as world powers in all formats of cricket.

HowandWhenitStarted forIndiaCricket

The India tour of the Caribbean in 1971 holds great significance in the historyofIndiancricketasit marked India’s first-ever Test series victory against the West Indies, the most dominant cricketing side in the world (at the time). The series victory was a significant milestone for Indian cricket and helped

(eventually becoming p Champions).India’ssuccess inlimited-overscricketsuch as the T20 and One-Day Internationals(ODIs)canbe attributed, in part, to the strength of their first-class cricket structure. A strong first-class domestic system has allowed players to hone their skills in the longer format of the game, which helps in developing a solid technique,temperament,and overallcricketingacumen.

With this series victory, India made history, and players like Sunil Gavaskar, Dilip Sardesai, and Erapalli Prasanna played crucial roles in their success that proved to be a turning point for Indian cricket, boosting their confidence and setting the foundation for future success.

During the series, Gavaskar showcased his batting prowess and had an outstandingperformance.

He scored heavily, including four centuries and adoublecentury Gavaskar’s impressive run in the series made a significant impact and established his reputation as a batting maestro right from the start of his career His consistent a n d i m p r e s s i v e performances in that series laid the foundation for a remarkable career that followed Sunil Gavaskar wentontoachievenumerous records and milestones, including becoming the first player to reach 10,000 runs inTestcricket.

Heiswidelyregardedas one of the greatest opening batsmeninthehistoryofthe game.

West Indies Notable Performers

There are a few notable performers for the West Indies during the 1971 Test seriesagainstIndia.

The West Indies team hadaformidablelineupwith severaltalentedplayerswho m a d e s i g n i f i c a n t contributions to the game.

S i r G a r r y S o b e r s (Barbados), one of the greatest all-rounders in cricket history, was the captain of the West Indies team during the series. Although he didn’t have a standout series with the bat, Sobers’ leadership and experience were crucial for theteam.

Despite not reaching significant individual milestones, Rohan Kanhai’s presence and expertise providedstabilitytotheWest Indies batting lineup. As an experienced campaigner, he played a crucial role in guiding and mentoring youngerplayersintheteam.

Openingbatsman,thelate RoyFredericks(Berbice, Guyana)playedakeyrolein the series, especially in the second Test at Sabina Park, Kingston, Jamaica He scored a magnificent century, smashing 105 runs in the second innings, helping West Indies set a challenging target for India.

Sir Clive Lloyd (Demerara, Guyana) displayed his batting prowess during the series. In the first Test, he scored 76 runs in the first innings, contributing significantly to West Indies’ total. This West Indies team was a formidable side and had several legendary players who made significant contributions to thegame.TheIndiancricket teammembersforthetourof theWestIndiesin1971were asfollows:

Ajit Wadekar (Captain), Srinivas Venkataraghavan (vice captain), Sunil Gavaskar, Farokh Engineer (Wicketkeeper), Dilip Sardesai, Gundappa Viswanath, Eknath Solkar, AbidAli,BishanSinghBedi, Erapalli Prasanna, Bhagwath Chandrasekhar Salim Durani. Madan Lal, Sudhir Naik. SyedAbidAli. Ashok Mankad. Govindraj hok

Gandotra Krishnamachari

SrikkanthandJagjitSingh. The West Indies cricket team that played against India in 1971 included the followingplayers: Gary Sobers (Captain), Rohan Kanhai (vice captain), Roy Fredericks, Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharran, Deryck Murray (Wicket-keeper), Lance Gibbs, Vanburn Holder. Bernard Julien, Charlie Davis, Joey Carew Grayson Shillingford, Inshan Ali and Easton McMorris

The series consisted of five Test matches, and here aretheresultsofeachmatch:

1st Test: June 11-16, 1971 - Sabina Park, Kingston,Jamaica

Result:Matchdrawn

Scores: West Indies 360 and97/2,India387

2nd Test: June 23-28, 1971 - Queen’s Park Oval, PortofSpain,Trinidad

Result: India won by 7 wickets

Scores: West Indies 214 and261,India352and124/3

3rdTest:July2-7,1971Bourda, Georgetown, Guyana

Result: India won by 7 wickets

Scores: West Indies 214 and261,India352and124/3

4th Test: July 16-21, 1971 - Queen’s Park Oval, PortofSpain,Trinidad

Result:Matchdrawn

Scores: India 352 and 427/8d,WestIndies526

5th Test: August 18-22, 1971 - Sabina Park, Kingston,Jamaica

Result: India won by 4 wickets

Scores: West Indies 214 and261,India352and124/3

WhatMustbeDone?

For Guyana and other Caribbean countries to reclaimtheirstatusasoneof thegreatestcricketingsports teams, it is crucial to focus on rebuilding and strengthening their firstclass cricket structure. This involves investing in grassroots development, providing adequate infrastructure, ensuring quality coaching, training programs, and fostering a competitiveandprofessional environment for players, by offering scholarship programs with Test playing countries. India would be a great start. By prioritizing the development of talented cricketers at the domestic level and nurturing their skills through a wellstructuredfirst-classcricket (Continuedonpage21)