Tony Becca WHEN THE first West Indies team walked on to the field at Lord's back in 1928 to play its first Test match, hardly any one believed that what has happened since would really have occurred.
In the 77 years since that June day when the 31-year-old George Nathaniel Francis of Barbados bowled the first ball to Herbert Sutcliffe, West Indies cricket has produced not only some of the world's greatest players - including Gary Sobers, who is recognised around the world as the greatest cricketer ever, the likes of George Headley, Viv Richards and Brian Lara, Sonny Ramadhin, Alfred Valentine, Lance Gibbs, Wes Hall, Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Curtly Ambrose who are rated among the greatest batsmen and bowlers of all time, Frank Worrell and Clive Lloyd who are ranked among the greatest captains ever, but also one of the greatest teams in the history of the game.
Over the years, however, West Indies cricket has accomplished more than that - much more than producing great players, great captains, great teams and generally players, batsmen, bowlers and fielders, who, because of their exciting play, in victory or defeat, have entertained the world in a manner second to none.
To scholars and historians, the prowess of their ambassadors on the cricket field during the colonial days made West Indians confident in their ability to match skills with anyone, and because of that, because of its influence throughout the region, West Indies cricket has been credited with playing an important role, arguably the most important role, in the advancement of the West Indian people - certainly in the social emancipation of the West Indian people.
What is interesting, however, what is a credit to those who represented the West Indies, is that the influence of West Indies cricket went, as it undoubtedly still does, beyond the shores of the Caribbean and to far away South Africa - to the land once infamous for its apartheid policies.
A TREMENDOUS IMPACT
According to Dr. Ali Bacher, the former captain of South Africa, the former managing director of the United Cricket Board of South Africa who was the guest speaker at the annual Sonny Ramadhin Lecture hosted by the St. Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies in Port of Spain on Thursday night, West Indies cricket has had a tremendous impact not only on world cricket, but also, and more importantly, on people in many parts of the world - including South Africa.
"Throughout my many years in cricket I have had a great admiration for what the West Indies have done for world cricket and for people in many parts of the world - and not least South Africa," said Dr. Bacher.
According to the man who considers himself a friend of West Indies cricket, who, based on my knowledge of him, is a friend of West Indies cricket, and who has said time and time again that some of the greatest people he has met have been some of the great West Indian cricketers of the past, today's South Africa is indebted to West Indies cricket.
"South Africans," said Dr. Bacher, "used your great example to rise above adversity, and poverty, and racial discrimination, and to believe in themselves and their ability to champion a cause."
Like so many others before him, Dr. Bacher said that when one considers the very average, and in some cases below average, practice and playing facilities available to West Indies cricketers it is extraordinary that the Caribbean community has produced so many truly great and outstanding cricketers.
In what must be the greatest tribute ever to West Indies cricket, the South African who captained South Africa in the days of apartheid - in the days when the likes of Herschelle Gibbs, Ashwell Prince, Makhaya Ntini and Monde Zonde had no chance of representing South Africa, ended his praise of West Indies cricket with some really touching words.
"The excellence and success of your cricketers was an inspiration to the oppressed majority in South Africa during the apartheid years," said Dr. Bacher. "Your cricketers demonstrated conclusively to all South Africans that black people have the potential, and ability, and desire to succeed at the highest levels in international sport."
