By Lateef Jafri
The announcement by Richie Richardson, the West Indian captain, to quit international cricket after the end of the World Cup creates a void difficult to be filled.
The reaction in the cricket circles of the Caribbean islands was mixed, though the West Indies cricket board rushed into an emergency meeting to name Courtney Walsh as his successor in the upcoming series against New Zealand. He has not yet been installed as captain on a regular basis for the later year West Indian trip to Australia.
Many cricket experts and former Test stars thought that he had still many years to make contribution to the team as a batsman. Others blamed him for the setbacks suffered by the former invincible squad and twice champions of the World Cup. Colin Croft, former Test pacer, and Mike Findlay, ex-Test wicket keeper, admired him for his guts but described Brian Lara as "the captain in waiting.
Richardson is a pedigreed batsman, a true representative of West Indian batsmanship known for its delightful and graceful strokes. He failed during his Test baptism at Wankhede Stadium, Bombay in the 1983-84 series. But then at Bridgetown and St. John`s, An- tigua, he flicked the Australian bowling to the thrill of the home crowds. If there was the aggression in his drives of Con- stantine, Walcott Weekes and Worrell, there was also the elegance of Kanhai and Kallicharan. He was gallant, throwing down the gauntlet, to the bowlers. With his departure from the interna- tional scene only Brian Lara will be there in the West Indies squad to carry on the old tradition to exhibit the ease of style for which the Caribbean cricket is known.
The retirement of Richardson will be a loss to West Indies but a greater loss will be to cricket in general.
As Richardson has decided to call it a day reports are coming in that perhaps Curtly Ambrose too is thinking of keeping away from international competitions. The 6ft, 7in giant reminded the veterans of that fine exponent of seam bowling, Joel Garner. Slightly lesser in height Garner`s control over line and length and his alarming pace challenged batsmen of all hues and countries.
Ambrose followed a West Indian tradition of venomous, ferocious fast bowling. Hylton, Martindale and Constantine overwhelmed the might of England in the 1934-35 series with their terrific pace. England had such organised and methodical batsmen as Wyatt, Hammond, Ames, Leyland, Hendren and Holmes in their fold.
Roy Gilchrist`s bolts came catastrophically to threaten the batsmen; they imperiled the chest and body of the players. His forceful and offensive speed created a crisis for the English and Pakistan batsmen. Gilchrist, whatever may be his antagonism in his whirlwind pace, had full respect for the assured batting and the classical technique of Hanif Mohammad for in the 1957-58 series in West Indies the latter stayed for 970 minutes for his 337, the inning spanning for four days. Gilchrist, Atkinson, Sobers and Valentine tried their level best but could not find a gap in the bat of Little Master. Roy Gilchrist was omitted from the West In- dian Test team for his repeated indiscipline and misdemeanour.
Wes Hall, with his excellent follow-through and rhythm, earned the appreciation of the connoisseurs. Holder, Holding and Roberts shook the rival batsmen with their speed and swinging deliveries. Their reign overlapped the arrival of Colin Croft, Garner and Marshall. They depended not on force for their heavy haul but there was swing, swerve and variation of pace in their bowling. They followed the set principles of some of the earlier masters of speed like Knox, Cotter, Kotze, Brearley, Gregory, Macdonald, Voce, Bowes, Lindwall and Miller.
If at all Ambrose is at the end of the road, the West Indies cricket will be poorer for both Bishop and Walsh are feeling the strain of the present-day competition and perhaps for long they too may not be able to sweat and toil with their fast bowling.