(Part 39.) Winning starts for Aussies and Kiwis. They may be neighbours and both former British colonies in the Southern Hemisphere, but there is a world of difference between Australia and New Zealand; on and off the field of play. Brash and confrontational to the point of being obnoxious at …
Read More »1975 CWC: Gavaskar’s go-slow—“by far, the worst innings I’ve ever played”
On the day the 1975 Cricket World Cup got underway in England, the West Indies’ demolition of Sri Lanka by nine wickets with almost 40 overs to spare in Manchester was not the only no-contest of the four matches being played simultaneously. At Lord’s, in front of a near full-house, …
Read More »1975 CWC: Julien swings Windies past outclassed Sri Lankans
(Part 37.) West Indies too professional. With 14 days to go to the 50th anniversary of the West Indies victory over Australia in the 1975 World Cup final, Tony Cozier reports on the Caribbean side’s opening match of the tournament against Sri Lanka, which was carried originally in his celebratory …
Read More »Dear Editor: WI got bowling tactics wrong in ODIs; give Alzarri the new ball!
“[…] The West Indies tacticians, in their wisdom, chose to give the new ball to Matthew Forde to accompany Jayden Seales in the first two games. In the third game, even with Forde missing, they again overlooked Alzarri and entrusted the new ball to Shamar Joseph. That, I believe, was …
Read More »1975 CWC: Windies omit Greenidge for five bowlers, in opener against Sri Lanka
(Part 36.) Down to business. After all that build-up, with historical context, player profiles and a few other bits and pieces, the countdown to the 1975 World Cup final is now truly on ahead of the opening day of competition in the eight-team event. So, with 15 days to go …
Read More »Hosein, Goolie and Chase affected by UK visa issue; CWI blames “administrative challenges”
Veteran spinner Akeal Hosein and rookie batsman Jyd Goolie both look set to miss out on West Indies’ upcoming T20 International series against England and Ireland, due to the Cricket West Indies (CWI) failure to land visas for the cricketers. West Indies play the first of three T20I matches against …
Read More »1975 CWC: From Ollivierre to Sobers—Fazeer reviews WI’s first 12 England visits
(Part 35.) No unlucky 13. Clive Lloyd’s 1975 Cricket World Cup squad marked the first time that a West Indies team toured England to play limited-over matches exclusively. It was also the 13th visit there by a Caribbean side—certainly no ill omen as it turned out—in the 75 years since …
Read More »1975 CWC: Does the Caribbean care about Windies history? Does the CWI?!
(Part 34.) Because we forgot. As this 50th anniversary series approaches the actual days of competition at the 1975 World Cup, a question from the latest interviewee prompted today’s piece, which focuses inwards on our general attitude towards history—and, in this specific case, an historic sporting occasion that can serve …
Read More »1975 CWC: How Jeff Charles represented Dominica in historic WI moment
(Part 33.) Pride of Dominica. Tony Cozier and Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira were the two prominent members of the broadcast team bringing “live” radio ball-by-ball commentaries to the Caribbean audience of the five West Indies matches at the 1975 Cricket World Cup. But there was a third member of the team, …
Read More »Russell, Holder join WI T20 squad to face England; Pooran asks to be rested
West Indies have added veteran allrounders Andre Russell and Jason Holder to their T20 International squad, as they prepare for three T20Is against England and another three against Ireland later this month. However, the Maroon Men will be without dynamic 29-year-old batsman Nicholas Pooran, who asked to be rested for …
Read More »1975 CWC: ‘Inculcating the right sort of habits’; how Lloyd helped guide Windies to title
(Part 32.) Let it snow, let it snow. Today is a significant day in the history of English cricket. Not for anything to do with action on the field of play, but a bizarre weather phenomenon which prevented play: a freak snowstorm. Yes, coming to the end of spring, with …
Read More »1975 CWC: To bounce or not to bounce?
(Part 31.) Manager’s view. To bounce or not to bounce? That seemed to be one of the questions occupying the minds of cricket’s administrators in the week leading up to the first Men’s Cricket World Cup in 1975. So, with 20 days to go to the 50th anniversary of the …
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