Contemporary Greats: Samuel Badree
Thu, Apr 30, '20
There was nothing alien about fast-bowlers until the West Indies found themselves with four who clocked above 90 mph. And with a plan 'B'—as reserves for the traditional formats—school of thought ascribed to T20 cricket, it was the format's dons representing the Caribbean side, their domination of franchise cricket transcending internationally, that gave birth to the exotica factor of T20 specialists. West Indies playing their part in the ultimate revolution of cricket, yet again.
The West Indies cricket team, formed in the 1880s, was first assembled for tours of Canada and the United States. The region’s first official international Test match took place in 1928, two years on from its governing body, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB), joining the game’s ruling body, the then-Imperial Cricket Conference (ICC) in 1926.
Great cricketers, good performances, and magical moments were always a part of West Indian teams; still, until the 1960s, the three seemed, in effect, mutually exclusive. Cue Clive Lloyd and his vision, assembling the likes of Vivian Richards, Michael Holding, and Andy Roberts, along with Colin Croft, Gordon Greenidge, Joel Garner, etc. The rest, as they say, is history—the 1970s gave birth to something unmistakeably remarkable: domination (through to the early-1990s), by arguably one of the greatest teams in sporting history.
This domination, of course, was what laid the foundation upon which the narrative of ‘West Indian Great’ was largely constructed. With Lloyd, Richards, Holding, Marshall, and Roberts, all playing significant roles in the West Indies’ 15-year unbeaten Test run. The Caribbean side dealt in obliteration, regardless of opponent, each player taking turns as the protagonist, searing their names into the history books.
Before the fast-bowling dynasty that propelled the team to the apex of world cricket, Caribbean fans had first witnessed the likes of Learie Constantine & George Headley, then Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, then Garry Sobers, Charlie Griffith & Wes Hall all outperforming their counterparts with individual skills, ruling their disciplines throughout their careers.
Not unlike Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, both of whom fell somewhere in-between the maturity of a great and a declining WINDIES. The latter of which the legendary Brian Lara was meant to tarry, still proving himself to be just that, arguably the greatest batsman of all time.
For those reasons, those mentioned hold, without question, legendary status. They performed in different eras and therefore different teams; yet, they rose to their respective challenges. The challenges Test match cricket – undoubtedly the ultimate test – posed.
In the 21st century and at the turn of a new decade, the latest format of our beloved cricket, dubbed Twenty20, continues to influence how players approach the other formats of the game, threatening to overtake Test match cricket in marketability. In this, a format which the West Indies has championed, a format in which they are the sole two-time conquerors, boasting, the greatest T20 team ever assembled – franchise or otherwise: shall the criteria for ‘West Indian Legend’ remain etched in stone?
Some members of this controversial ‘championing’ group already have their title as being T20 legends. And justifiably so, but there are others who warrant significantly more than the so easily obtained ‘Former West Indian Player’ title. One such player is Trinidadian leg-spinner, Samuel Badree.
Following a winner’s medal with Trinidad and Tobago in the 2008 Stanford 20/20, Samuel Badree went on to feature in several T20 leagues, before finishing second runner-up to mystery spinner and countryman Sunil Narine in the Champions League T20 2010/12 season on the economical bowling charts. This led to the leggy being handed new-ball duties in his debut series for the West Indies.
"A consistent performer in regional tournaments over a period," described, then-chairman of selectors Clyde Butts, Badree earned his International cap against New Zealand in Florida, just two and a half months prior to the start of the 2012 ICC T20 World Cup.
He made his World Cup debut in West Indies’ 3rd match of the Sri Lanka-hosted tournament, opening the bowling with Ravi Rampaul against England. Badree completed his allotted overs with figures of 0 for 20 – the most economical bowler in the entire match, going at 5 runs per over when England needed to be going at 9 runs per over to get to their target. This was the West Indies’ first win of the competition, having qualified for the round by way of superior net run rate, following a D/L loss to Australia, and a no-result against Ireland.
Badree did not feature against the hosts in the following game, one which the West Indies lost. He was back, however, for the New Zealand match-up. Again, the most economical bowler over forty overs, he conceded fewer runs from his allotment this time around, adding the scalp of Brendon McCullum in his spell of 1 for 18.
He would continue to contribute to the cause of the team, next with 2 for 27 from his four overs in the semis against Australia. With the Aussies chasing 206 for victory, Badree got the West Indies off to the best possible start, bowling David Warner for just one, his opening over going for just two runs along with Warner’s wicket. He returned to trap Shane Watson in the 5th over, to further strangle the Australians, ensuring they lost the dreaded third wicket in the powerplay after Marlon Samuels accounted for Michael Hussey.
In the final against Sri Lanka, Badree again would turn up for his captain, his figures reading 1 for 24. That one wicket was that of Kumar Sangakkara. It had been eight overs and one delivery since the last (the only) wicket had fallen. And although the West Indies had managed to keep the run rate in check; with wickets in hand and the small matter of a ‘set’ Sangakkara, the hosts were still firmly in it. By removing the wicketkeeper-batsman for 22, Badree cued a collapse, and with the remaining 8 wickets falling for 53 runs, the West Indies were crowned World T20 Champions.
In addition to his 2012 heroics, Badree kept a prime and pre-reformed-bowling-action-Sunil-Narine at bay in the ICC T20 bowling rankings. Going into 2014 World Cup preparations, Badree was 18th on the bowler's rankings, but following outings against Ireland and England, he went into the tournament second only to Narine. Badree claimed wickets in all the games in which he featured in the competition, finishing will 11 wickets in 5 matches, with a best of 4 for 15 against Bangladesh.
The West Indies would falter at the semi-final stage, with Sri Lanka avenging their loss in the final, two years prior. Badree, however, enhanced his reputation, finishing the tournament as the World’s best T20 bowler. It would take Narine a year and a half to once again retain the top spot.
The Delhi Capitals Spin Bowling Coach has claimed the second most T20I wickets for the West Indies, with 54, behind DJ Bravo’s 59, in 11 fewer innings. 43% of Badree's international wickets were accounted for during his 15 World Cup appearances; placing him 10th on the T20 World Cup’s top wicket-takers list. Consider that the former St. Kitts & Nevis Patriots man has played the least number of World Cup games of those in the top ten, the next best being Ajantha Mendis with 21 games.
Leading up to the 2016 World Cup, Badree was set for more responsibility, as an injury would keep Narine out of the competition. Though the West Indies ran out comprehensive winners in their tournament opener against England, his figures of naught for 34 were nothing to write home about. His 3 for 12 against Sri Lanka, however, would help restrict the Sri Lankans to 49/5 by the time he finished his spell in the 9th over, leaving his team untroubled in a successful chase of 123.
Despite Badree's 3 for 14, the West Indies suffered a shock defeat in the Caribbean side’s final group game against Afghanistan. He would only claim one wicket in the semi-final victory against hosts India, but his figures of 1 for 26 from his 4 overs, at 5.64 runs per over, in a game where 388 runs were scored, meant the latter performance was of greater importance than the former.
In the final against England, Badree rounded off a professional showing in the tournament, and ultimately his World Cup career, with a fitting performance; delivering 50% dot balls from his 24 deliveries, claiming two wickets while giving away just 16 runs, and taking two catches.
As if he needed validation of his tournament's work, the Trinidadian, along with a second T20 World Cup winners' medal, had reclaimed his place at the top of the ICC rankings by the end of the tournament, finally losing the number one spot to someone other than Narine for the first time in September of 2016, to Imran Tahir. Badree stayed in the top 10 (ranking 7th) until his last T20I in August 2018.
Only ever asked to represent the region in the one format, he excelled, rivalling any bowler touted as the greatest in West Indies T20I history.
Badree's T20I career figures: 52 matches, 56 wickets, 21.07 AVG, 6.17 ECON, 4/15 Best.
Narine's T20I career figures: 51 matches, 52 wickets, 21.25 AVG, 6.01 ECON, 4/12 Best.
DJ Bravo's T20I career figures: 61 matches, 59 wickets, 27.11 AVG, 8.34 ECON, 4/28 Best.
Can we fault a man who fulfilled his job description to a tee?
Samuel Badree, a leg-spinner who more than held his own in the era of the finger spinners (such as, Saeed Ajmal, Sunil Narine, Harbhajan Singh, etc) prior to the ICC's no-nonsense stance on bowling actions.
Samuel Badree, a player who led the bowling attack of the greatest T20I team of all time (so far at least), to Word Cup glory; once, alongside, and once, in the absence of one of the greatest T20 bowlers of all time.
Samuel Badree, Modern West Indian Great.
