Peter EspeutIT IS said that 'Cricket is life; everything else is just details'. We Caribbean people put a lot of passion into our cricket and invest its heroes with more esteem than national honours can give. For us, cricket is not just a game, for it is the game of the British Empire, and beating the colonial power or the primarily white Dominions carries extraordinary political and emotional overtones. And being beaten by them seems to reinforce jingoist notions of racial superiority.
The inventors of the game have always claimed that cricket is a game that reveals character. Putting one's head down and batting in the face of penetrating bowling, or diligently plugging away at a batsman in full flight, without the fielding falling apart, have been signs of sterling character; and conversely, batting collapses and ragged fielding replete with dropped catches and misfields show not just poor technique but poor character.
'CALYPSO CRICKET'
(Good) character reveals itself not in the cameo innings or the odd brilliant catch or the occasional spell of bemusing and mesmerising bowling, but in consistency consistent batting, bowling and fielding on all types of pitches and in all conditions. You don't have to win to have character; you have to perform at your consistent best, even if it isn't enough to beat the opposition. You can lose and not be disgraced.
'Calypso Cricket' was how they described the happy-go-lucky style of our game in an era when no matter what the pitch or bowling attack, the approach of our batsmen was to try to hook the ball out of the ground, and our tall athletic bowlers thundered toward the wicket, delivering at just sub-100 miles-per-hour. We survived nay, did well because of the raw talent of our players; sometimes we were glorious, and at other times we were dismal. When we were good, we were very good; and when we were bad we were horrid!
And in the cricket academies of the opposition, they studied the videotapes and identified our weaknesses and trained their team and planned for us. But we still seem to think that if only we can find the right players
We have before us two cricket world-record-holders of renown: Brian Charles Lara who again holds the world record for the highest individual score in a Test innings 400 not out; and Courtney Andrew Walsh, who for the moment holds the world record for the greatest number of wickets taken in a career 519. The two world records are quite different, one for a one-off performance, and the other the result of a long-term achievement. To which do we West Indians invest with the most prestige? It says something about our character.
CAREER AVERAGE
In his 93-match career, Sir Garfield Sobers scored 26 centuries; in his 106-match career Lara has scored 25 centuries; Sobers' career average is 57.78 while Lara's is 53.35. Who is the greater batsman? Do we value more the flashy star or long-term consistency? With his quadruple century, his triple century, his 7 double centuries and his 16 other centuries, Lara has not yet scored 10,000 runs in his career. He has been 'not out' only 6 times! Sobers was 'not out' 21 times! Allan Border who holds the world record for the most career runs was 'not out' 44 times! Steve Waugh with the second most career runs was 'not out' 46 times. Who is the greatest batsman of all time?
In terms of career averages, even with his 400 not out, Lara now ranks number 26! Don Bradman's career average was 99.94 (with 12 double centuries)! George Headley's career average is 60.83 (ranked number four in history). Lara's record speaks for itself; he is a great batsman, and his place in history is secure; but we must not overdo our praise. On the day he can be stellar! But he really has not been consistent enough to demand the title of "greatest". Too often when it has mattered most, he has lacked the character to take his team out of difficulty, either by the quality of his own performance, or by his ability to inspire his teammates to give of their best.
WORLD RECORD
Courtney's world record, which will soon be surpassed by both Warne and Muralitharan, is the result of a lifetime of effort. He broke Kapil Dev's world record (434 wickets) and then took 85 more. And Courtney was a fast bowler, not a spinner! I do not think that Courtney Andrew Walsh, a man of tremendous character, has been given the recognition he deserves.
The most hurtful part of it is that Courtney's career was cut short by the antics of Brian Charles Lara and his machinations toward the captaincy of the West Indies team held at the time by Courtney Andrew Walsh. Left to blossom as W. I. Captain, Courtney's world record could have been much higher today.
What bothers me is that so many of us West Indians respect the flash-in-the-pan more than the lifetime achievement. You can see it in our politics. Never mind the colonial connotations; it speaks to our character.
Peter Espeut is a sociologist and is executive director of an environment and development NGO.
