Analysis of the past 20 years suggest that all players who played in the golden era of West Indian cricket deserved to mentioned in this article. But after the arduous task of omitting some great names from a list of ten I have come down to two of the to have ever played for the team. These two players are the late Malcolm Marshall and the great Viv Richards. Both players were gifted with talents which nature bestows upon very few in cricket.
Malcolm Marshall made his debut at a time when legends like Holding and Garner were at the top of their game. Getting into the team at such a juncture was an achievement in itself but against all odds he not only got into the team but remained in it for the next ten years. His fiery pace and immaculate control over line and length made him a menace for batsmen the world over. His ability to get well set batsmen out made him doubly dangerous. Apart from his bowling prowess he was also a useful lower order batsman who played many an important innings for his team. His early death sent shock waves round the cricketing world and in a unanimous opinion of critics his death had deprived the world of a great competitor who in the short time on earth proved that he was one of the best ever to have played for his country.
Viv Richads came into the team as a brilliant fielder but as time went by the word came to know how great a batsman he really was. He could play shots all round the wicket and played a few trademark shots which only he could execute. When he became captain in the late 70's he took the west Indies to great heights and made them play like a cohesive unit who took some beating .His inability to win a world cup in his tenure as captain can truly be regarded as a twist of fate as his team was one that truly to win the cup in 83. Late in his career he bowled off spinners and his ability to get wickets at crucial times gave him the versatility, which turns good players into great ones.
Go To Page: 1 2
