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HEADLINE: Rohan Kanhai - An Appreciation

 
CaribbeanCricket.com 2017-11-06 07:44:09 

“The man of genius inspires us with a boundless confidence in our own powers”-Ralph Waldo Emerson

“His life was gentle; and the elements so mixed in him, that Nature might stand up, and say to all the world, THIS WAS A MAN!” -William Shakespeare

“To see Kanhai flat on his back – with the ball among the crowd beyond the square-leg boundary – after making one of his outrageous sweeps to a good length ball, is to watch a man capable of playing shots fit to lay before an audience of emperors”-James Scott, May 1966, on the occasion of Guyana’s Independence“

“Kanhai discovered, created a new dimension in batting…He had found his way into regions Bradman never knew.”-CLR James

“Some batsmen play brilliantly sometimes and at ordinary times they go ahead as usual. That one... is different from all of them. On certain days, before he goes into the wicket, he makes up his mind to let them have it. And once he is that way nothing on earth can stop him. Some of his colleagues in the pavilion who have played with him for years have seen strokes that they have never seen before: from him or anybody else"-Sir Learie Constantine to CLR James, on Kanhai

“I remember my first sight of Rohan Kanhai batting at Bourda in 1956. I wrote that night to my father in Trinidad that I had just been witness to a wonder, the best batsman in the world. This was a big claim – after all I had seen, among others, the great Frank Worrell at his elegant best. But I was sure then and I was sure thereafter as I followed Kanhai’s career…of all the sportsmen in all the many sports I have watched in my life I judge Kanhai to have possessed the most compelling genius of them all…It was, quite simply, a special gift from the gods.” -Ian McDonald

“Rohan Kanhai was a great player…and he was rated one of the tops…a good cricket brain…earned the respect of his players.” -Sir Garfield Sobers

“His niche in West Indies cricket…is assured, as is his place in the hearts of all who treasure human excellence in any form”-Michael Gibbes

"It is hard to believe that there could be better players than Rohan Kanhai. I have seen him score tons for Warwickshire on all sorts of pitches -- against Derek Underwood on turning tracks and against Alan Ward and Harold Rhodes on a corrugated flyer against Derbyshire. Rohan got hundreds on both occasions. Nobody can be a fine cricketer than Garfield Sobers or Ian Botham but somehow Kanhai hardly gets a mention. I stood at the other end many times completely in awe of him” -Dennis Amiss on his former Warwickshire teammate Rohan Kanhai

Full Story

 
sgtdjones 2017-11-06 09:36:21 

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

It's ironic that the CWI/WICB hasn't named something for him.

sad sad sad

 
runout 2017-11-06 11:13:35 

In reply to sgtdjones
You mean stategic?

lol lol lol

 
openning 2017-11-06 11:17:28 

You know a cricketer is great when fans pay to see him bat, when fans at the game argues about who is the better bat, when that individual can stopped traffic in Bridgetown, and people just want to touch him.
I was about 10 years old when I saw him bat, not only did fans argued about him and Gary, but these argument, were topics on street corners.
I've written about this before especially when race is mention, because I grew up knowing he was from British Guyana, a West Indian cricketer.

 
Kay 2017-11-06 11:35:30 

Just checked ... de man only averaged 47!!! smile

 
analyst-kid 2017-11-06 11:46:43 

Growing up as a youngster, Bajans believed in Kanhai.

 
Ewart 2017-11-06 12:21:23 

In reply to Kay



Just goes to prove that he was not your average batsman.


wink


//

 
anandgb 2017-11-06 12:40:58 

In reply to Ewart

lol lol lol

 
seaegg99 2017-11-06 12:47:02 

Still to this day the best cricket matches for batting only was BG v Bds. Shots all day long! Every day! No winning or losing just the most breathtaking stroke play. Just couldn't set a field for these matches.

 
runout 2017-11-06 12:53:54 

In reply to seaegg99

Bro...the shot making wasn't as exciting as you guys are putting it. I know it is nostalgic and romantic to hail the greats, but what was the scoring rates in these matches?

Today's batsmen don't get enough credit. But the game has been revolutionized and the scoring is now neck-breaking pace. And there is shots galore too!

allyuh talk nah!

 
Cameron 2017-11-06 13:18:36 

I have always been proud that we share birthdays (12/26), though many years apart.

I shall never forget the exuberant 77 he scored in the Oval Test in the 1963 tour of England to help the West Indies win the Test by 7 wickets and the Series 3-1.

 
doosra 2017-11-06 13:32:26 

In reply to runout

Today u can't bowl 2 balls round bannaZ throat

 
runout 2017-11-06 13:35:20 

In reply to doosra

yes you can, but one will be a no-ball...

lol

 
googley 2017-11-06 16:56:36 

In reply to runout

back in those days they recorded the minutes a batsman is at the crease vs the number of balls faced. Often Rohan used to beat the clock! wink

 
googley 2017-11-06 17:03:41 

btw, how come Khaga not here yet talking about the hero of his hero? lol lol