Alvin Kallicharran is now universally
regarded and acknowledged
as one of the most complete
batsmen to have ever represented the
West Indies. Equally capable of being
at his very best against either pace or
spin. During an international career that
surprisingly lasted only a mere 9 years,
from 1972 – 1981, Alvin Kallicharran
played 66 Tests and 31 ODI’s for the
West Indies. His 66 Tests produced 4399
runs from 109 innings batted at a highly
commendable average of 44.43. He also
scored 12 centuries and 21 half-centuries
during his Test career.
In his autobiography “Color Blind,”
Kallicharran provides some very valuable
insights to the practices he engaged in at a
very young age that helped him to become
the very great player that he was. “From
growing up in a tiny village, Port Mourant,
Berbice, to amassing over six decades of
cricketing experience as a West Indies
cricketer Alvin Kallicharran has a lot to
offer to the cricketing world. He firmly
believes that principles, virtues, and values
will last a lifetime and that it is only with
patience that success is achieved!”
Colour Blind is Kallicharran’s recounting
of the story of his own journey of
overcoming adversities, hardships and
struggles to achieve success. As such just
like Alvin himself, Colour Blind is filled
with colourful stories, colourful events,
and colour blind cricketers, Sufficiently so
as to become a must read for every young
future aspiring West Indies batsman.
Much like a blueprint Guide To Greatness,
each of Colour Blind’s chapters provides
its readers with Key Takeaways and Action Steps. Most if not all of which
would be entirely useful for young West Indies cricketers to adopt.
“Pursue role models and mentors by asking them to help, If you can’t find one
person, read up on what they did or are doing to reach their full potential!”
“Make a list of potential models and role models. Write down the list and
next to each name make a note as to why you selected them.” Read a book,
listen to a podcast, watch a video, follow a blog or write to one of your
chosen heroes. What are they doing that you could do but are not? Commit
to doing what they are that’s resulting in their success!”
Kallicharran also suggests that every young cricketer should
commit themselves fully to pursuing their passion with
every ounce of their being.
“Calculate approximately the number of hours you
have already put into your passion. If you are
not showing any improvements, are you
learning from each practice, playing at
a challenging level and becoming a
diligent student of the game in all
aspects. Commit to continuously
taking action steps to further
improving various aspects
of your game. Make sure
that you are very often
playing against those who
are better than you and
present challenges for you to
have to overcome!
“to truly excel maximum effort
will be required. Make your
fitness fundamental to your
personal development. As part
of your practice routines, run 22
yards back and forth as if you were
taking sharp singles, twos and threes
in a match. Also, practice running 100
yard sprints as a means of becoming the
quickest can possibly be as an outfielder.”
The aforementioned are only some of the numerous
key takeaways and actions steps gems provided by Alvin
Kallicharran in his Colour Blind Autobiography. The book is
of such utility as to, arguably, be made required reading for
every Caribbean based school aged child, male or female,
with cricketing aspirations.
Kallicharran was of course himself “proof positive that
small can be beautiful in Test cricket. He had poise, balance,
orthodoxy, a full range of strokes off either foot, and a bat
that because of its size relative to him, appeared far too
large to a generation of hapless bowlers!”
“Kally” as he was fondly known to all will perhaps now best
be remembered for his epic encounter with Australia’s
Dennis Lillee, regarded by many to be Test cricket’s greatest
ever fast bowler, during the inaugural 1975 World Cup.
West Indies v Australia at The Oval was the most
anticipated match of the tournament’s group stages, pitting
the Australian pace attack which had destroyed England
the previous winter against some of the game’s great
stroke makers. And while the match itself was
disappointing – West Indies romped to a
seven-wicket win with 14 overs to spare
– the clash between Dennis Lillee and
Alvin Kallicharran was riveting
Australia batted first and were bowled out for
192, which they got thanks largely to a sixth-wicket
stand of 99 between Ross Edwards and Rod Marsh.
In reply, Gordon Greenidge fell early on and that brought
Kallicharan to the middle. The pitch was hardly conducive
to fast bowling but Lillee, steaming in from the Vauxhall End,
was fired up. Kallicharran, only 5’4”, bareheaded and with
his shirt unbuttoned halfway down, decided to meet fire
with fire.
He had a score to settle. When the two sides had
met in the Caribbean in 1972-73, he had been singled out
for attention by the Australians and given a verbal goingover.
He went after the bowlers from the off, but it was when
Lillee, glowering and hostile, came back for his second spell
that the fireworks started.
Anything short was savagely hooked, and the faster and shorter Lillee bowled, the
further the ball traveled. If he opted for an off-stump line, he
was crashed through the covers off the back foot, and even
when he found the edge, the ball fizzed to the boundary.
In ten balls from one to the other, the sequence went
4,4,4,4,4,1,4,6,0,4 – 35 runs. The crowd went delirious,
and Lillee’s scowling only egged them on. He finally had
Kallicharran for 78, skying an attempted pull to midwicket, but by
that time the proverbial horse had bolted.
That was Kally at his very best, in full demonstration of all the
skills that made him one of the greatest batsmen the West Indies
has ever produced.
Disciplined, constant practice engagement,
developed skills which those who now may be seeking to become
future West Indies players would do well to emulate.
With files from CricInfo!