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(Part twelve.) Diminutive stylist.
This series of at-the-point-in-time profiles on the 1975 West Indies Cricket World Cup squad is being done in the batting order of the final—except for recognition already given to senior statesman Rohan Kanhai and his successor as captain, Clive Lloyd.
Which is why, with 39 days to go to the 50th anniversary of the Caribbean side’s victory in the final at Lord’s, the focus now is on the man occupying the revered number three slot.
(via Sportskeeda.)
No, not Vivian Richards; but Alvin Kallicharran. Because at that time, even with Richards offering a glimpse of what was to come, “Kalli” was without doubt the man in the West Indies batting line-up.
Averaging over 57 from 22 Tests then, this classy left-hander from the Guyanese town of Port Mourant—the same birthplace as Kanhai, who was no doubt an inspiration to Kallicharran—was at the very height of his batting powers, even if his physical stature offered no hint of the insatiable appetite for runs within.
His entry to Test cricket could hardly have been more impressive: an unbeaten even hundred in his debut innings in front of delirious home support at Bourda followed by another hundred in the next Test at the Queen’s Park Oval, as the batsman-friendly five-Test series against New Zealand in 1972 ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
(via Sportskeeda.)
Five Tests at home to Australia the following year proved an altogether tougher challenge (294 runs at 36.75) as did three Tests in England, where the West Indies ended a barren run of more than four years without victory by taking the series 2-0.
At a personal level though, Kallicharran was back among the big runs in 1974, with four centuries and three nineties across 12 Tests against England, India (five each) and Pakistan.
Probably the finest of those performances was 124 in the opening Test against the Indians in Bengalruru.
(via ESPN.)
Legendary cricket journalist and broadcaster Tony Cozier described Kallicharan’s innings in the Wisden as a “masterful technical display” on a pitch he summed up as a “vicious turner” on the second morning, when the little man accounted for 60 of his team’s 77 runs before being last out.
However, the start of that run of form, his 158 in Port of Spain, is best remembered for the controversy, when he was ruled run out by England all-rounder Tony Greig.
As he started to walk back to the pavilion, following Bernard Julien’s defensive prod to the last ball of the second day, such was the public outrage that the teams agreed for Kallicharran to be reinstated the next morning.
(via CWI Media.)
With shirt unbuttoned to his midriff and sleeves rolled up to the elbow, there was an air of the village badjohn in “Kalli”—except that when he unfurled those classic strokes, you were left in no doubt as to the considerable ability of this batting stylist.
Next: Viv Richards hints at greatness.
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Fazeer Mohammed is a journalist/broadcaster with almost 40 years’ experience across a range of media.
His interest in cricket, and particularly its history, started at home via his father’s small collection of autobiographies and magazines, offering perspectives and context which have informed his commentary and analysis on contemporary issues in the game.
