Tony McWatt

As part of my 2011 New Year’s Day activities I took a glance at the proverbial cricket crystal ball. I was not surprised to find predictions for a wide open World Cup and the very real possibility for a resurgence of West Indies fortunes in Test matches at least.
In terms of the former, my head says that any one of the current top six or teams: Australia, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and South Africa are capable of winning top honors in the 2011 Competition, to be jointly hosted by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka from February 19-April 2. My heart however says that after having come so close on many previous occasions, this could well deservedly be South Africa’s year.

With regard to the possibilities of a resurgence of West Indies Test fortunes, I am not expecting them to get back to being the dominant all conquering force of the eighties any time soon. I do believe however, that providing all of their best players - particularly the bowlers - are fit and available, the forthcoming Home Test Series against Pakistan and India will produce very positive and encouraging results.
In outlining these crystal ball predictions, readers will notice my very deliberate non-inclusion of the West Indies in the listing of likely World Cup winners. The reality is that with all the teams so closely matched in terms of raw talent, the unit that emerges as the eventual winner will have to do so on the strength of having played very disciplined and strategic cricket for a total of nine matches: six in the Group Stage, a quarter final, a semi-final and of course the final.
In the round-robin stage the West Indies must consider themselves very lucky to be in Group B, arguably the weaker of the two groups. Bangladesh, England, India, Ireland, the Netherlands and South Africa will be the other six teams vying for one of the four available quarter-final spots. Group A by contrast will include the defending champions Australia, one of the co-hosts Sri Lanka and perennial powerhouse Pakistan, with New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Canada and Kenya completing the roster.
One would expect Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to easily emerge as Group A’s top four qualifiers for the knockout stages in the quarter finals and beyond. This would mean early exists for Canada, Kenya and Zimbabwe and participation that will yet again prove no more than an experience gathering exercise. Certainly the Canada’s cause will not be helped if it’s recent selectorial wrangling does result in the non participation of John Davison, Geoff Barnett and Ian Billcliff, three of their most talented and experienced players.
On paper England, India and South Africa should easily emerge as the top three Group B teams, with Bangladesh, Ireland, the Netherlands and the West Indies competing for the fourth and final spot. Whether the West Indies can triumph over their supposedly lesser rivals to progress to the quarters will very much depend upon the extent to which they play to the full potential of their combined talents.
Certainly in Chris Gayle, Kieron Pollard, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Adrian Barath as well as the Bravo brothers Dwayne and Darren, the West Indies possess batting reserves capable of posting very challenging totals of their own or attaining those set by opponents. The question that may well determine Windies fortunes in the entire tournament will be the extent to which their bowling and fielding can perform at the required levels.
Indisciplined bowling punctuated by gifted runs through numerous no balls, wides, long hops and full tosses, coupled with shoddy fielding, dropped catches and missed opportunities for run outs have far too often characterized West Indies World Cup performances of the last two decades. As such it will be in these two areas of the game - bowling and fielding - that their performances will have to improve substantially if they are to produce results of any significance.
Again the team that wins this World Cup will be the one that consistently bats, bowls and fields better than its opponents through the nine required matches. Based on their performances in the intervening four years since the last World Cup, all of the now top six ranked teams have at times shown their ability to do so. The team that plays throughout with the greatest self belief in its ability to win could very well be the one that emerges as champions. That is why in essence my heart believes this could very well be South Africa’s year. I have a sneaking suspicion that Messrs Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, Dale Steyn and company may be the ones with the greatest such self belief.
Like all other cricket fans not fortunate enough to be physically present at the actual matches, I will be following the fortunes of the respective teams, hopefully through readily available televised coverage. Come summer however, televised cricket coverage won’t be enough for me. I am already scheming and planning to wend my way to the Caribbean to witness first hand at least one of the West Indies Tests in their respective Series against Pakistan and India.
It’s been over five years since I was last back in my native Guyana. The attraction of the West Indies-Pakistan Test at the still relatively new Providence Stadium now therefore offers as good an excuse as any for a return visit.
As enticing as going back to Guyana may be, it pales in comparison to the exciting prospect of watching India’s top flight batsmen: Messrs Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman and Sehwag battling against a revitalized West Indies pace attack. Even moreso if the pitches at Jamaica’s Sabina Park and Barbados’ Kensington Oval can be made to be quick and bouncy to suit the West Indies pace attack.
If fully fit and readily available Kemar Roach, Jerome Taylor, Fidel Edwards and Tino Best, could once again provide the West Indies with a fast bowling quartet capable of taking the twenty wickets needed to win Test matches. Even against opponents with batting as formidable as India’s and Pakistan’s.
One of the other characteristics of successful Test teams is a settled batting lineup capable of posting significant scores. With Chris Gayle, Adrian Barath, Darren Bravo, Ramnaresh Sarwan, Shvinarine Chanderpaul, Brendan Nash and Dwayne Bravo, the West Indies now have the requisite pool of players with a good enough mixture of solid technique, exciting stroke play and required temperament to comprise batting to face any opposing bowling with measurable success.
All that’s missing from the current team equation is a competent enough wicket-keeper who is also talented enough as a batter to make meaningful and consistent contributions to team tallies. As non-convincing as their performances of late may have been, Carlton Baugh and Dinesh Ramdin are still the most likely prospects for this position. The paucity of other worthwhile challengers from anywhere within the Region continues however to be a very real cause of concern for Caribbean cricket.
Whether or not my crystal ball predictions for a highly competitive World Cup and a resurgence of West Indies fortunes come true, 2011 nevertheless promises to be an exciting year for cricket and its fans.

 

By Adit Kumar
Gifted West Indies and Guyanese batting star, Rohan Bholalall Kanhai, turned 75 on Boxing Day.
Kanhai made his Test debut for the West Indies in England in 1957 and went on to become a legend of West Indian cricket bringing glory to his country and team wherever he played, as he mesmerized the world with his batting prowess. Always daring to take any attack apart Kanhai was known to bring excitement whenever he walked in to the crease where a boundary studded century or a disappointment could await you. Whenever he dazzled he did so in tremendous style, many times often falling on his “backside” as he hooked and pulled with savagery.
Famous cricket author C. L. R. James wrote in the New World Journal that Kanhai was “the high peak of West Indian cricketing development”, and praised his “adventuresome” attitude. India’s famed batting star Sunil Gavaskar, named his son after the legendary cricketer in tribute to him.
While Kanhai seemed to have a love for fast bowling attacks, in his heyday he treated both the fast and slow bowlers with little respect. His century in each innings against Australia in 1961 against the fastest at the time remains a hallmark of his career. And his 256 not out against India was described as the innings that was largely responsible for putting the great Indian spin bowler Subhase Gupte out of test cricket. That was his highest test score and is still the record for West Indies against India.
In his debut in 1957 against England at Edgbaston he teamed up with some of the greatest at the time including Sonny Ramadhin, Clyde Walcott, Everton Weekes, Garfield Sobers and Frank Worrell. And coming to the end of his Test career he again lined up with the best including Roy Fredericks, Alvin Kallicharran (his cousin), Clive Lloyd and Andy Roberts.
While he donned the role of wicketkeeper in his first three Tests and deputised as keeper on several other occasions, it was his batting that West Indies came to rely on in his test career. Before settling in as the regular number three batsman he batted in several positions including opening the innings with Nyron Ali against Pakistan at home in the 1958 series. The stylish, unorthodox batsman scored his first Test century in his 13th Test and it was worth waiting for as he hammered the Indian bowling for 256 not out at Calcutta in the 1959 series. Gary Sobers and fellow Berbician Basil Butcher also scored centuries in the same match as West Indies crushed their hosts by an innings and 336 runs.
Kanhai was in a blaze of glory in that series as he followed up this knock with 99 in the next Test as West Indies went on to win the series 3-0.
Going to Pakistan on the next leg of the tour, Kanhai went on to hit another Test double century scoring 217 in the Lahore Test as West Indies beat Pakistan by an innings.
He closed his test career scoring 6227 in 79 matches, with 15 glorious centuries and 28 fifties, at a respectable average of 47.53.
Kanhai was a prominent member of the Rest of the World team against England in 1970 where he scored exactly 100 as he helped the Rest team win the final test chasing 284 runs for victory. He again blazed away in the next Rest of the World 1X against Australia in 1971/1972 when he topped the averages at 69.75 scoring successive centuries - 101 and 116 - in the first and second tests before injury stalled his onslaught.
His greatest moment of glory came when he was appointed captain of the West Indies team for the home series against Australia in 1972-73. While West Indies lost that five-Test series 2-0 Kanhai scored 358 runs in the series including a valiant 105 in the second test in Barbados and three fifties. He retained the captaincy for the tour to England the following summer and crushed the hosts 2-0 in the three-test rubber. In that series he had the distinction of top scoring in the third test at Lords with 157 as West Indies declared at 652-8 and went on to win the test by an innings and 226 runs. Gary Sobers scored 150 not out and Bernard Julien 121 in that test also. West Indies also won the first test by 158 runs.
In the return five-Test home series against England Kanhai managed a 1-1 draw which saw him retiring after the series.
He was appointed coach to the West Indies team in 1992 and helped them beat Australia in the 1992/1993 series.
One-day cricket was in its infancy as Kanhai’s career drew to a close, and he only played in seven ODIs. However, he went out on a high, playing a vital role in the first World Cup Final at Lord’s in 1975 against Australia. Coming in at a precarious 50 for 3 he scored an invaluable 55 in a crucial 149 run partnership with Clive Lloyd who went on to make a century. West Indies won that final by 17 runs.
While he dazzled on the test scene he also sparkled in the English county scene as he formed the heart of an impressive batting line-up that included John Jameson, Dennis Amiss, Alvin Kallicharran and MJK Smith, the top five batsmen for Warwickshire.
Kanhai scored 1,000 runs in a season for Warwickshire on ten occasions, his most prolific year being 1970 when he hit 1,894 at an average of 57.39. He also surpassed 1,000 runs in a season in Australia in 1961 and again while touring India and Pakistan. His highest score for Warwickshire was 253 against Nottinghamshire in 1968 at Trent Bridge. Along with Jameson he established a first-class world record with an unbroken stand of 465 for the second wicket for Warwickshire against Gloucestershire at Edgbaston in 1974 scoring 213 with Jameson making 240.
Born at Port Mourant in the county of Berbice in British Guiana, now called Guyana, Kanhai played for his county Berbice and country from 1954-55 until 1973-74. He now lives a quiet life in England and was a member of the special panel of past West Indian players that was invited to the World Cup played in the West Indies in 2007.

 

At the end of the third day's play in the series-deciding Test, South Africa with 52 for two, 50 ahead after India (364) took a lead of two runs. Looking dangerous, Harbhajan Singh removed Graeme Smith and nightwatchman Paul Harris in the space of four balls. He will surely play the key role for India as the battle of wits resumes on Wednesday.
For all that happened, the day, however, was primarily about two men - the world's best batsman and the world's best bowler. Sachin Tendulkar and Dale Steyn were locked in a fascinating fight almost all day as they led their teams' struggle for supremacy. Both emerged winners, showing just why they are such special players.
Tendulkar, who could have been playing on Survival Island, such were the conditions, was called upon to summon all his legendary powers and skills. He played and missed all through his knock, especially against Steyn. But with luck on his side, Tendulkar responded in valorous fashion to notch up his 51st century and help India get a first innings lead, even though an mere psychological one.
Steyn put aside acute frustration to pick up his 16th five-wicket haul and was responsible for keeping India under check. He beat the bat so many times that a wicket looked possible almost every over. He kept bowling those bewitching outswingers with monotonous regularity - with the new ball and the old one. His figures for Tuesday read 18-7-44-4, a great performance from a great bowler on a day when the mercury hovered around the 35 degrees Celsius mark.
India had earlier won the 2nd Test to square the series 1-1.

 

At the end of the second day of the 5th Test in the Ashes Series, England are 167/3 against Australia's first innings total of 280. A tense battle is being waged between the two rivals with the home team trying to salvage as much honour as they can having already conceded the Ashes in losing the 2nd and 4th Tests. The 3rd Test was won by the Aussies while the first was drawn. Michael Clark has replaced the injured Ricky Ponting as skipper for the 5th Test which is being played at the SCG.
Summary results of completed matches:
1st Test: Aus v England at Brisbane - Nov 25-29, 2010
England 260 and 517/1d; Australia 481 and 107/1
Match drawn
2nd Test: Aus v England at Adelaide - Dec 3-7, 2010
Australia 245 and 304; England 620/5d
England won by an innings and 71 runs
3rd Test: Australia v England at Perth - Dec 16-19, 2010
Australia 268 and 309; England 187 and 123
Australia won by 267 runs
4th Test: Aus v England at Melbourne - Dec 26-29, 2010
Australia 98 and 258; England 513
England won by an innings and 157 runs

 

Pakistan now touring New Zealand, will be playing 2 Tests and one ODI matches as follows:
1st Test: New Zealand v Pakistan at Hamilton
Jan 7-11, 2011 (22:00 GMT)
2nd Test: New Zealand v Pakistan at Wellington
Jan 15-19, 2011 (22:00 GMT
1st ODI: New Zealand v Pakistan at Wellington
Jan 22, 2011 (01:00 GMT)