'PROUD OF MY HERITAGE' : KALLICHARRAN

 

(An interview I did with Alvin Kallicharran in 1992.)

 Evening Madras, Sunday April 5 1992

 Alvin Kallicharran is one of the greatest left hand batsmen in the history of cricket. Like another illustrious West Indian of Indian origin, Rohan Kanhai, Kallicharran captured the imagination of cricket - lovers and critics alike. His technique will satisfy the most demanding of purists while his stroke production is sheer art. For one known for his fearless aggression against the most hostile pace bowling, "Kalli" is a facile player of spinners too as he proved time and again in India against the fabled spin trio. Kallicharran's career was unfortunately touched by controversy when he defied world opinion and his cricket board by playing cricket for a living in South Africa during the days of apartheid. Recently in India to play some charity and benefit matches and to visit Satya Sai Baba, Kallicharran spoke his mind on the subject in conversation with V. Ramnarayan. Excerpts from the conversation.

 When you were playing in South Africa, were there blacks playing there?

 Yes. There was Omar Henry, who played in the recent World Cup and a .couple of others who are in the squad touring West Indies now. There aren't too many good coloured cricketers, though. The blacks in South Africa are more football people; cricket doesn't excite them. But having said 1.hat, I must also say they were very, very encouraging especially during the West Indian rebel tour of South Africa. They found it particularly exciting we beat a white team. I think in our own small way, we the rebels did a lot to promote cricket in that area.

 You think you've played a small role in the dismantling of apartheid by going out there and giving the blacks pride through your performances?

 I am glad South Africa is now back in the international scene, but we sportsmen have no control over politics. We are sportsmen involved in our job. In our own little way we bring about communication between peoples. It is time people sat up and listened to sportsmen instead of making decisions for sportsmen.

 Did your Indian roots impact the way you were treated.

I am very proud of my Indian heritage.  I don't know whether my Indian origin had anything to do with it. But Viv Richards made a statement a couple of years ago that he was happy the West Indies was at last a full African side. That is not the way the West Indian captain should speak. Especially in my country, Guyana it is a very insensitive thing to say in view of the political situation there. Viv really hurt the Indians in Guyana.

 You were at the peak of your powers when you served your exile from Test cricket.

 I know it was a sacrifice I was making while going to South Africa. But what I was not going to do was to let West Indies cricket dictate my career. God blessed me with some ability with which I decided to earn a living from cricket. I was using the potential in me. Our cricket careers are short. Financial security for one's family is important and I wanted to create some for my family. When the opportunity to go to South Africa came, I took the chance because I could see my relationship with the West Indies board declining. Captaincy was not important to me. I am a happy-go-lucky chap who loves cricket But I found I was not getting the respect I deserved as a senior player. Of course I missed Test cricket. I still do. If you look at my record in county cricket and South Africa during my ban it was phenomenal. I was proving a point to my detractors. Generally people start fading away once out of Test cricket, their performances drop, they become negative but I went the other way. I still wanted to be talked about in the cricketing world, as one of the top three or four batsmen in the game. To me the cricket I was playing was Test cricket. I am still playing at 43, still enjoying my cricket. I love the game and I don't think I am finished yet. I retired from county cricket only a year ago because of a bad back. And if that gets better, who knows, I may yet make a comeback. I want to give cricket 100% always.

 When Clive Lloyd came back from Packer's World Series,  if you had been retained as captain instead, would you have gone in for the same four-pacemen combination that he did?

 West Indies had this weapon of pace which is their strength to win Test matches. There were these great fast bowlers Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Joel Gamer and Colin Croft. They were all tremendous and then Malcolm Marshall came along. We couldn't leave out any of them. The available spinners were not that good. Test cricket, any sport, is all about winning and there's no point in playing spinners in the side if they are not going to win matches for you. However, I think the time has come now for the reintroduction of spin. Mainly because of the rules governing short pitched bowling and intimidation. The bouncer as a weapon cannot be used freely any more because of the restrictions. You can see the spinners coming back into the game now as we saw in the World Cup.

 Any promising spinners in the West Indies?

 Yes, there a couple of good leg spinners, particularly a chap called Dhanraj.

 What does Satya Sai Baba mean to you?

 Oh, he has uplifted me. He is the ultimate. To meet him is divine. He has been my inspiration since I had my first darshan of him in 1979. I write to him often, think of him all the time and owe him much for what I am today.