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By Albert Baldeo |
New York, June 2003: Michael Holding, one of the all time greats of cricket and a commentator whose criticisms can be as lethal as his dreaded bouncers and blistering yorkers, recently pronounced before the commencement of the Australian tour of the West Indies, that Ramnaresh Sarwan is presently West Indies' best batsman. In a team which then comprised of the double world record holder, the Prince of Trinidad, Brian Lara, the "Tiger," Shivnarine Chanderpaul and "Sir" Carl Hooper, it was a startling but justified assertion from a respected statesman and scribe of the game and West Indian cricket. After all, Holding had earned his recognition by performing without peer at the highest level of the game. Moreover, "Whispering Death's" pronouncements, as he was familiarly called, is obviously based on close observation, undoubted experience and statistical scrutiny, which would make Sarwan the functional equivalent in the game of what Holding was called-the "Rolls Royce" of West Indian batsmen, if he continues to maintain the form he has been in, and produce the heroics.
Holding is not alone in his belief, or admiration. Ramnaresh Sarwan, a special son who hails from the tiny island of Wakenaam in Guyana, captured both the accolades and imagination of the cricket world on the game's greatest stage with his strokeplay, raw courage and resilience during the recent World Cup. Those who saw him grow up before their eyes always knew that Sarwan had been groomed for greatness and had been blessed with special batting talents even before he became the youngest West Indies first-class cricketer, aged 15 years, 226 days, appearing for Guyana against Barbados in the 1994 Red Stripe Cup. For inspiration, he did not have to look far, and for heroic deeds, Guyana's cricket history is replete with a lasting legacy, second to none. Before the advent of Hooper and Chanderpaul, his country had produced such batting legends as the inimitable "Corentyne Thunder" Rohan Kanhai, "Supercat" Clive Lloyd, Alvin Kallicharran, Roy Fredericks, Basil Butcher and a host of other gifted players. Each of these had ascended into cricket's Hall of Greatness by distinguishing themselves with the willow, each had carved his own niche, and each had authored his own unique history. There was Kanhai, whose courage, genius and rampaging blade spared none, as Gupte, Trueman, Statham and Miller would testify; Lloyd, who, in addition to being a worthy leader, was one of the hardest strikers of the ball and one of the greatest fielders in cricket history; Kallicharran, whose annihilation of Lillee in the inaugural 1975 World Cup still remains one of cricket's greatest moments; Fredericks, whose clinical and utter devastation of Thompson, Lillee, Gilmour and company in his epic 169 at Perth in 1976 will always be treasured; Butcher who once fashioned a masterly 133 out of 229 to force a memorable draw at Lord's, despite having learnt during the match that his wife had just miscarried back home in Guyana. And, of course, there were others in different departments of the game, such as Lance Gibbs, who once held the world record for taking the most wickets in test cricket, and Roger Harper, whose remarkable all round fielding was peerless.
His defiant sacrifice to secure an incredible victory for the West Indies after resuming an innings abruptly truncated by a fearful blow to the helmet and an emergency visit to a nearby hospital, failed by a mere six runs. But it will be long remembered for its bravery by the 20,000 who witnessed the drama live and the millions of others around the world, watching on television. Sarwan had made 10 from 25 balls when he was startled by a sharply rising delivery from Dilhara Fernando, Sri Lanka's fastest bowler. He took such a sickening blow on the side of the helmet that it reverberated around the stadium to the consternation of the spectators. The ball rebounded more than 20 yards to be caught, on the full, at backward point. He immediately slumped onto the pitch and lay there motionless for nearly 10 minutes while he was examined by a doctor and paramedics. Eventually, he was taken off the field on a stretcher, covered in a blanket and wheeled off to a waiting ambulance that took him to hospital. Once there, he was clinically examined by a neurologist, had several x-rays taken from different angles and two stitches inserted into a small cut above his left ear. His involvement in the tournament seemed over, his cricketing future lingered in doubt, but against medical advice, and displaying a courage beyond belief, he returned to the battlefield. When he arrived in the team's dressing room, the West Indies were six wickets down and Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Vasbert Drakes were trying to stem the advance towards defeat with a steady partnership, but soon after, the West Indies, in yet another tragedy of errors, lost their way, their communications, and their strategy, and Chanderpaul holed out to long-on after topscoring with 65.
Sarwan's heroism will remain an indelible memory as one of cricket's most courageous moments. Exhibiting the stuff legends are made of, Sarwan rejoined the fray without arm guard or helmet. It seemed a commendable but futile thought over a foregone conclusion at the time, for the West Indies were 169 for seven, still 60 away from the winning total with only 7.5 overs remaining, and only the fast bowlers to help him. The 22-year-old Sarwan batted with such panache and brilliance that he changed the course of the match, blasting two sixes and two fours in adding 37 off 19 balls in a tension charged atmosphere he had single-handedly scripted. His unbeaten 47 would prove insufficient, and may not be a statistic which will occupy any prominent place in cricket's annals, but it will forever be etched in the memories of those who were privileged to see it. Many batsmen will trade their centuries for this innings by Sarwan, and as a result, his stock soared.
Sarwan, the injured warrior, bloodied but unbowed, returned to his teammates, who must have been humbled by his daring, but just as distressed by the result. No one was more upset than Sarwan himself. "I don't like to lose," he said afterwards. "None of us wants to lose and I am a very proud person. When I saw what was happening, I had to come to the crease," he added. "Cricket is about heart. There'll be occasions when you're struck down by someone or something but you have to be man enough to fight to the bitter end." He explained that he "basically misread" the ball that hit him. "Once I got checked and I realized that I was okay, I decided that I wanted to come out and fight for the West Indies," he explained. "The game was very important for us. We had to win to go into the Super Sixes and I was determined to try my best. It was always going to be difficult to score eight to 10 runs per over in the last couple of overs with the bowlers at the crease but I gave it a shot," he noted. "With a little luck we could have got the runs."
The burden of seeing the West Indies home to victory in one-day internationals had become routine for Sarwan in the past few series. In the series of seven in India last November, in which he scored 436 runs at an average of 109 and a strike rate of 84.66, his last-ball four won the first match. His unbeaten 99, off 104 balls, helped boost the total to 324 for four in the fourth match but did not ensure a West Indies victory. In the decisive victory in the last match, he scored 83 off 101 balls, setting the stage for Marlon Samuels' breathtaking, unbeaten 108 off 75 balls.
His star had risen once again to make him the leading batsman for the West Indies in the World Cup. His 32 off 15 balls and his majestic partnership of 63 off 28 balls with Ricardo Powell powered the total to a match-winning 278 for five against South Africa. His mature 75 off 99 balls against New Zealand began in a crisis at 46 for five and, in a partnership of 98 with Ridley Jacobs, almost clinched an unlikely victory. Sarwan was fast becoming a batsman for all seasons, making great use of a sound technique, impeccable timing and crafty placement. At the start of the World Cup, he had an average of 51.04 and a strike-rate of 79.4 in 29 one-day internationals. He has boosted that with a World Cup average of 104.50 at a strike rate of 95.87, after five matches. His recent achievements propelled him to the vice captaincy of the West Indies and precipitated Holding's favorable comments. The boy wonder had become a man, one who would not be content to be the bridesmaid, but one who would settle for nothing less than the hero.
Sarwan's road to international recognition began when he became the tenth West Indian Test teenaged cricketer when he was selected in the second Test against Pakistan at Kensington Oval in the 1999-2000 series. He made his debut 37 days short of his 20th birthday on June 23. He had previously represented the West Indies youth team against Pakistan in the Caribbean and the 'A' team on tours of South Africa and Bangladesh and India as well as in the Caribbean. He earned his place after a hundred in each innings for the President's XI against the touring Zimbabweans and scores of 32 and 75 for the 'A' team against the Pakistanis at Kensington. He joined Derek Sealy and Sir Garry Sobers (17), Robin Bynoe (18), Jeffrey Stollmeyer, Alfie Roberts, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Alfred Scott, Gerry Gomez and Elquemedo Willett (19) included in the final 11 as West Indians who have gained Test selection while still in their teens.
Another respected former West Indian player, Colin Croft and a host of others, both far and near, have likened Sarwan to his illustrious predecessor and indomitable countryman, Rohan Kanhai, nicknamed "the Lall." It is a comparison that many will find premature, but the finesse, the supple rotation of the wrists and the liquidity of movement, the poise and the sublime grace, the guts and timing, the sense of theater, and the charismatic, captivating strokeplay are part of Sarwan in some comparable measure to Kanhai's. In their batting, art and sport are allied to perfection. His footwork, like the accomplished Kanhai and Kallicharran, does not seem to require early trigger movements, and is strikingly confident and precise, like a ballet dancer. His eyesight seems just as keen, but his shot selection such as the hook, sweep and the pull, is lacking. Zaheer Abbas rated Kanhai's shot selection as the best he had seen. Kanhai played these shots with breathtaking brilliance, with the momentum and commitment rocking him off his feet. He sometimes lay on his back and pulled balls for sixes, shots which no other batsman would dare play. Fredericks had the ability to hook the most lethal of bouncers, unerringly. Yet, basic pulls and hooks have proved Sarwan's downfall time and time again, when seemingly well set, but with time, with consistency, and with maturity, he may yet equal or even surpass not only Kanhai and company, but many more illustrious purveyors of the art of batsmanship. A lot depends on his own attitude, motivation and dedication to the game, which can be like the law-as jealous a mistress as any. Only time will tell whether he seizes the moment...
Sarwan has been playing for Guyana since 1995, as a Youth player, and since 1996, as a regular member of the senior Busta Cup squad. He has actually done quite a lot since his arrival on the cricket scene. He has impressed everyone with his rare talent, even if he has not yet really produced the statistics. He has already been on two tours. In 1997, he was selected to the ill-fated Youth World Cup in South Africa, then asked to stay on for the West Indies "A" team tour there, where he impressed. Ramnaresh Sarwan will always remember Dhaka. It is here that he scored his maiden one-day international hundred and first-ever three-figure knock in the tests. Although the milestone came in his 28th Test match, the 22-year-old Sarwan seems destined for greatness. He approaches every game with consummate ease buoyed with an abundance of youth, attitude and talent. Wherever Sarwan has played, he has earned rave reviews from his peers all over the world, and Sarwan himself must know and recognize the role he must play as well in achieving his goals, and in lifting the West Indies from its present depression.
After his first Test innings, 84 not out against Pakistan, Ted Dexter was moved to predict a Test average of more than 50, a spontaneous appreciation and endorsement of his talent. On his first tour, to England in 2000, Sarwan lived up to the expectations by topping the averages. He was brought back to earth against the Australians, where he endured a terrifying ordeal scratching for three runs in five innings and looked out of sorts with the bowling. He must rise against the old enemy, and prove his critics wrong in the present duel. Against India in 2001-02 he was back to his composed best, but he required 28 matches and 49 innings to post his maiden Test century, 119 in December 2002 - and even then it came against the minions of world cricket, Bangladesh.
Sarwan has a very long way to go, before his name can be called in the same breath as Brian Lara's, Sachin Tendulkar's and Steve Waugh's. There are many boundaries to cross, or scorch, depending on how you see them, many hurdles to overcome, many statistics to conquer. He is still to make a test double or triple hundred, two hundreds in the same test, a first class double hundred, and for that matter, just about every batting item in the record books. He must capitalize on his early start and his apparent entrenchment in the West Indies side, before he can be invited to sit in the same pew with his illustrious predecessors in the cathedral of cricket. But he has shown enough to suggest that he will, eventually, and by divine right, be counted amongst the very greatest.