Alvin Kallicharran

Proof positive that small can be beautiful in Test cricket. He had poise, balance, orthodoxy, a full range of strokes off either foot, and a bat that because of its size relative to him, appeared far too large to a generation of hapless bowlers. He was at his happiest away from the softer seaming pitches in England however despite his successful seasons with Warwickshire. What many regard as his finest innings, 158 against England in Port of Spain in 1973-4, was shrouded in controversy. Having made 142, he watched Bernard Julien play the last ball of the first day to Tony Greig at silly point before walking down the pitch towards the pavilion never having returned to his crease from backing up. Greig threw down the bowlers stumps and Kallicharran was given out by Douglas Sang Hue only to be reinstated next morning after the mood of the tour had been soured. His attempt to join Packer foundered when it was discovered he had contravened a contract with a Queensland radio station but instead took on the captaincy of West Indies in 1977-8 when Clive Lloyd resigned over the Packer issue.
Mike Selvey