Ravi Shastri on WI back in the day
@imusic
I was watching this vid below this morning where Shastri was being interviewed and quit midway. So if ask me, it's pure hypocrisy in his remarks in video you posted.
Cricket is not like football
@InHindsight
First of all, thanks for sharing the video.
After watching, I don’t see any hypocrisy. 2 very different topics.
He provided his lived experience with one. And gave his opinion on the other.
As for cricket not being like football, that’s correct today. But what Shastri said is that he sees it moving toward the football model. And I see that too.
As he said, it comes down to economics. And if that’s the case, there absolutely will be a decrease in bilaterals.
It might hurt to hear, and it does, but when he says crowds will come if the best are playing the best, he’s not lying. Look at crowds for test cricket in the Caribbean. Look at the attendance in the stadia in India for this last series. People won’t come if it’s not best on best.
Wi fans misunderstand Indian fans mostly. They might sound like patronizing. 90% of the Indian fans would consider WI as their second favorite team. In various regional languages they still talk about the legacy of WI players from the post. I wrote an article on cricinfo in 2002 about Carl Hooper and how he tortured us. Surprised to see them publish it. There is a separate group of fans for Carl Hooper in India.
@InHindsight
I like how Ravi qualified they'd bowl6 bouncers...if needed. Video evidence will show how often wkts fell to length/back of length balls. Sure in many cases bouncers "softened" up batsmen prior to dismissal. Ravi did win a few battles vs that attack. Admire his grit because his batting talent wouldn't suggest he could be so successful from 1-6.
@InHindsight
we all know ravi's stance on two tier cricket.....and i agree with him. the WI is not a top tier or even a mid tier test team. whether you chose to admit that or not does not alter facts. test cricket is expensive and the sole currency for test cricket involving and in the West Indies is a competitive West Indies team playing attractive cricket. all are absent in the current version
@Brerzerk
Geoff Boycott wrote that the WI pacemen were the most intelligent because they bowled under the armpit and in the ribcage area, lengths that you can still bowl today for an entire 6-ball over. and that length forces you to play whereas a head high bouncer can be avoided by ducking. chest high short balls force you to play and at uncomfortable angles. its something none of the pacemen either in the WI or outside ever understood. you can thank all those racist english writers who distorted the WI formula in the papers.
