by IMRAN KHAN

This morning I listened to a recording of a delightful radio discussion between Tony Cozier and his close friend and comrade Reds Perreira that was done on July 10th last, Cozier’s 75th birthday.

After 50 minutes of reflection and nostalgia, of the scheduled one hour discussion, the listener could sense that Perreira wanted to conclude the last segment with TC’s take on the state of West Indies cricket. With over 50 years of broadcast experience in addition to personal insight into what TC’s views are on the matter, Perreira knew he needed to tread cautiously and ease into the subject.

Perreira knew TC could unleash and seemed to want to protect him from getting too riled up. Circuitously, he posed a question about the future of world cricket as an appetizer before the broaching the main course. TC stopped him dead in his tracks, ignored the question, and went straight for the steak.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com



Wow..



Cant even find the words...

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

Well said.

Brian Lara has chimed in on the passing of West Indies cricket commentator Tony Cozier. Link Text

It was batsmanship that brought people rushing to cricket venues and crowding stadia. Batsmanship, and batsmen. (Not this craziness about "batters").

They went to see batsmen who could caress a ball across the carpet to the boundary while not a man moved. Not a blade of grass! Batsmanship pulled the.

Batsmanship from men like Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell, Basil Butcher, Seymour Nurse, Lawrence Rowe, Garfield Sobers, Brian Lara, Jimmy Adams, Clive Lloyd and Jeffrey Dujon.

When those great artists were at the wicket, you could expect a long innings. You could expect a century... and often got it. These men had staying power, both in terms of each innings, and also in terms of the length of their careers.

These men also defied any attack that confronted them, playing shots to every part of the ground, avoiding sixes for the most part, and so were able to lengthen their time at the crease.

It should also be remembered that in their time, cricket had no real competition; soccer, track and watching American sports came later.

Fiery pace bowling, as compelling as that may be, also had its followers. But it was batsmanship and the expectation of continued top-class batsmanship, that pulled the crowds.

And so... Lickit Cricket, T-20 and all those shortened forms that do not allow a batsman the time to be attractive and glorious, all those forms are sounding the death knell of crowded pavilions. In the West indies anyway, if not in India.


RIP TC

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In reply to Ewart

Quite right, my good man, quite right.

I detest that term batters- reminds me of mixing dough

In reply to sudden

Yes! It does!




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