Development of the Test captaincy of West Indies
Encyclopedia
This is a chronological list of defining events in the Development of the Test captaincy of the West Indies cricket team.
H.B.G.Austin
, President of the new West Indies Cricket Board of Control
, assumed captaincy of the first Test-playing tour of England in 1928
. However, at the age of 50, he was to stand aside before the tour.
Karl Nunes
appointed captain instead for inaugural West Indies tour of England. "Leadership was a white function. So in the economy, so in cricket."
M.C.C. Committee member Mr R H Mallett, 70, was charged to act as West Indian team manager, as he had done in 1906 and 1923.
The West Indies Board
named different captains for the four Tests against touring M.C.C.
from the colony where each match was played, including 42 year-old Nelson Betancourt
who was the choice in Trinidad for his sole Test appearance.
April 1930
R.H.Mallett, about to return to England after managing the 1929-30 MCC touring party, met the West Indies Board and recommended G C 'Jack' Grant
as captain for the Australian tour
, even though Grant had no experience of captaincy and had never played in West Indies before. In his biography Grant confessed "I was younger than all of the sixteen players, save three; and most of these sixteen had already played for the West Indies, while I had not. Yet I was the captain. It could not be disputed that my white colour was a major factor in my being given this post."
"A policy at the time was to choose a nucleus of six players for the Test team and then complete the eleven with others from the 'home' territory," wrote Michael Manley . This is a bit of an exaggeration - a nucleus of seven or eight perhaps, because team selection was now in the hands of the West Indies Cricket Board rather than the colony where the Test match was played.
1933 to 1934-35
Jack Grant was heavily engaged in education in Grenada but was retained as West Indian captain for the 1933 tour of England
and for the visit by MCC in 1934-35
.
When injury forced Grant to leave the field in the Kingston Test, he asked Learie Constantine
to take over.
1938-39
The Board appointed one selector to represent each region: For the 1939 tour
party none had strong cricketing credentials.
"In selecting captains .. the authorities were not consciously against Headley and Constantine…… the selectors acted to preserve opportunity for their own class… confident that the best interests of the sport were being protected." (Michael Manley)
February 1939
When Jackie Grant
gave up cricket to become a missionary (like his grandfather), his brother Rolph Grant
became captain for the 1939 tour
rather than George Headley
"The appointment of Rolph Grant was historically necessary, for British colonialism based itself on the idea that the colonised were inferior people who were incapable of self-rule. The whites in the colonies subscribed to this fallacy, so they could not appoint a black skipper : to do so would have been tantamount to rejecting the cardinal logic of colonialism."
"N.N. Nethersole, lawyer and deputy leader of Norman Manley's People's National Party, launched his campaign on George Headley's behalf." He challenged the Cricket Board's outlook that property ownership endows with the characteristics of leadership. '"[His] constancy and judgement, necessary for national and international negotiation, may well have been sharpened by the arguments and the efforts to avoid pitfalls of insularity in selection in the board room of the West Indian Cricket Board of Control.'
For one Test in Barbados George Headley
became the first black man appointed to captain West Indies. But then Gerry Gomez and John Goddard were given the captaincy in the remainder of the series against England.
1948-49
John Goddard
was appointed for the tour of India, and a year later after some hesitation confirmed that he would also be available to lead West Indies in England in 1950
.
The selectors were Edgar Marsden (Trinidad), Noel Nethersole (Jamaica), Frederick Clairmonte (Barbados) and Alec Drayton and Maurice Green (British Guiana), while the on-tour committee was simply made up of the white members of the team - Goddard, Gomez and Stollmeyer.
Goddard was retained as captain for tour of Australia
. However, his criticisms of the Board for agreeing to the match itinerary for the Australian tour led to him being excluded from West Indian team for three years. During the series against Australia, West Indies lost 4-1, as the senior players declined to offer him any on the field advice after they felt he had taken all the credit for the victory in England in 1950. "He succumbed to his own tactical deficiencies" (Michael Manley).
1952-53
Jeffrey Stollmeyer became captain starting with a Test series against the visiting 1953 Indians. His cricket knowledge unquestionably made him worthy of the position of captain.
1954-55
Denis Atkinson
, Stollmeyer's deputy, led West Indies in three of the five Tests against Australia. "About 2,000 people protested, at the Kingston Race Course, against the appointment of Atkinson, the Barbados all-rounder, as captain of the West Indies for the fourth and fifth Tests against the Australians. They wanted Frank Worrell
, who was named vice-captain."
1955-56
Atkinson nevertheless was kept on as captain of a West Indies team to New Zealand in 1955-56 with John Goddard manager (these appointments made nearly two years before the tour so they were not connected with Atkinson being rewarded for scoring a double century against Australia).
WI Board representatives such as Noel Pierce (Barbados) continued to man the selection panel but non-whites like the British Guiana secretary Ken Wishart
who had opposed Atkinson's captaincy , and Berkeley Gaskin
, and players a cut above like Gerry Gomez
began to be appointed, as in 1957.
October 1956
For the 1957 England tour
"John Goddard was restored from retirement as captain (passing over more suitable candidates in Jeffrey Stollmeyer and even Denis Atkinson), and Clyde Walcott
replaced Worrell as vice-captain – it was still several years before a black man could be accepted as full captain. He (Walcott) would not have been the "easier option" which the administrators had imagined." Goddard was a failure as captain. "That his selection in 1957 was a travesty was not his fault" (Manley).
1958
Gerry Alexander
was appointed captain for home series against Pakistan 1957-58 and for the next two years. An "Alexander Must Go" campaign was mounted by CLR James, then the editor of The Nation. "The idea of Alexander captaining a side on which Frank Worrell is playing," he wrote, "is to me quite revolting."
"Alexander told the selectors that the time had come for Worrell to take over the leadership but they pressed him to continue. He eventually agreed with some reluctance" (Manley). As the last white man to captain West Indies was leading the Test side against England
, it was announced that Frank Worrell would take the team to Australia.
1960-61 to 1963
Gerry Gomez was appointed Chairman of Selectors and also manager of the tour of Australia
. "I shall not let this question rest," thundered C L R James in The Nation, "This fooling with West Indies' captaincy has gone on too long".
Worrell was at last made captain for the Australia and England tours, and he proved to be an outstanding captain. "Graceful, poised and dignified, Worrell embodied all that was noble and deeply attractive in the West Indian character. Articulate, sensitive and West Indian to the core, he gave substance to the view that unity should be the hallmark of the region and its cricket team. He transformed a bunch of talented and individual players into a unified team." Allan Rae, former opening batsman and a lawyer who would soon become a catalyst for progress on the Board, was now a selector.
1964
On his retirement, Worrell recommended that Garfield Sobers
should take over as captain in preference to long-serving understudy Conrad Hunte
. "There was speculation that Hunte's continuous proselytising for his [moral rearmament] beliefs even within the dressing-room told against him." (Cricinfo) Sobers led West Indies in 39 Test matches and won series victories against all comers.Sir Frank Worrell
was made team manager against Australia 1964-65. His potential managerial contribution to West Indies cricket was cut short by his early death in 1967.
March 1968
Sobers faltered at Port of Spain
, in the 4th Test against England when his declaration on the final day saw England scramble home with just three minutes left in the game . Team manager Everton Weekes
distanced himself from the decision to make the declaration.
West Indies did not win another series under Sobers.
Sobers captained the Rest of The World
sides against England (and again in Australia). At the end of the series the "politically unconscious Sobers" (Manley) participated in a double wicket tournament in Rhodesia
, causing uproar and demands that he should be sacked as captain. He was forced to apologise, and, with no alternative captain in view, "a grateful Caribbean grabbed the apology with both hands." (Manley)
1973
Sobers declared himself unavailable as a player on being asked by the West Indies Cricket Board of Control to prove his fitness, so he was replaced as captain by Rohan Kanhai
for the 1973 home series against Australia. Sobers had "... led a strong side effectively but not shown the capacity to lift a weak or ageing side" (Manley)
"Cecil Marley, president of the West Indies Cricket Board, asked me who I would recommend as my successor," wrote Sobers. "I opted initially for David Holford
but I didn't think he would be accepted as my nomination because he was my relative. I offered Clive Lloyd as an alternative choice but Clive had not even been invited to join the squad, so my third choice would be Rohan Kanhai."
Kanhai retained the captaincy for the 1973 tour of England
, which West Indies won 2-0. "Kanhai is credited with restoring both discipline and morale to the side" (Manley).
Suggestions of regional bias caused by each territory having a representative on the selection panel led to a reduction to three selectors only. This panel would be joined by the captain.
25 May 1974
Clive Lloyd
appointed captain for 1974-75 tour of India. Lloyd lasted as captain for ten years working to make cricketers from different nations and backgrounds a proud, unified team throughout his time. He won the one-day World Cup
tournaments in 1975 and again in 1979.
1976
West Indies retained the Wisden Trophy against England
3-0: "A third factor is apt to be overlooked because of the brilliance of the batting and bowling. It was Lloyd's captaincy. He led his men with a sure touch, kept them together, maintained discipline and began to act as the father figure of the side" (Manley). Clyde Walcott resumed as team manager, "As a manager who had played the game, he lent credibility to what he was trying to instill in the players," said Deryck Murray
1977-78
Clive Lloyd joined Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket
(WSC) in 1977. He quit the West Indies captaincy when Haynes, Austin and Murray were dropped from the team for playing in Packer's World Series and all the remaining WSC members in the team including Richards, Greenidge, Garner, Roberts and Holding also immediately dropped out.
Alvin Kallicharran became stand-in captain for the remainder of the series against Australia and on the tour of India.
1979-80
Clive Lloyd was reinstated for the 1979 World Cup
and 1979-80 tour of Australia. Walcott was again World Cup manager.
Apologies were required after players made indisciplined responses to umpiring decisions in New Zealand. (Willie Rodriguez
was then manager) but the team kept winning. One factor was that Dennis Waight
, engaged as trainer and physio, enforced a rigorous training regime.
A West Indian rebel team led by Lawrence Rowe
toured South Africa
. It included players like Alvin Kallicharran, Colin Croft, Collis King and Sylvester Clarke. Deprived of its full-strength, West Indies lost the 1983 World Cup to India.
1983-4
Lloyd was persuaded to change his mind after 1983 World Cup
and stay on as captain for the tour of India and a triangular ODI tournament. Clive Lloyd's career as West Indies captain came to an end after series in Australia in 1984-85.
1985
Vivian Richards was appointed captain starting with ODI series in Pakistan. Vice-captain Desmond Haynes
captained the West Indies touring party on a Test visit to Pakistan.
Richards is the only West Indies captain never to lose a Test series, which reflected his fierce will to win and the way he drove his team. After 50 Tests in which he retained West Indies' place as the prevailing force in world Test cricket, Viv Richards retired as West Indies Test captain. "He was impatient with error... but commanded respect and loyalty of the troops whom he led because he was a great player." (Manley)
1991-92
Jackie Hendricks was Chairman of Selectors when the Board appointed Richie Richardson
. Desmond Haynes, the man being groomed for the role and Richards' vice-captain, was elbowed out of the captaincy ….. "that was when the Board failed to understand the importance of the influence of Haynes as a senior member of the Lloyd/Richards era being needed to make the transition, to bring the culture, the work ethic and the spirit of domination to another group."
1992
A poor showing by the West Indies in the 1992 World Cup in Australia
and a young team reeling from the retirement of Richards, Greenidge and Marshall led to the West Indies calling on former skipper Rohan Kanhai
as their first coach, appointed by the WICB in autumn 1992.
1994
Courtney Walsh
appointed stand-in captain for the tours of India and New Zealand after Richie Richardson was ordered to rest because of "acute fatigue syndrome".
Kanhai complained about disciplinary problems among the West Indian players, and relinquished the job in 1995.
1994-95
Richardson returned as captain for the home series against Australia but without Haynes to give his support "WICB's controversial eligibility rule was used to exclude Haynes, the Barbadian batsmen, from the home series against Australia. Haynes, who was 39 at the time, had missed one match during that year's regional competition because of a professional contract with Western Province in South Africa and was left out of the West Indies team."
1995-96
Wes Hall
manager in England with Andy Roberts as coach. Disciplinary measures needed : Winston Benjamin was sent home from the tour of England.
At the end of the 1996 World Cup during which Kenya surprisingly beat West Indies at Pune, Richie Richardson resigned as captain. Andy Roberts was sacked as coach, and Wes Hall ended his term as team manager.
March 1996
Courtney Walsh
became captain. The WICB persuaded Clive Lloyd who lived in England and was detached from the politics of West Indies cricket, to become Manager. Walsh was given a say in selection but Lloyd said that as manager he too should be on the selection panel proper, not simply on tour.
March 1997
Brian Lara became captain for the first time in the third Test against India in the absence of the injured Courtney Walsh and won the match by 38 runs so that WI won the series 1-0.
January 1998
Brian Lara
appointed West Indies captain to succeed Courtney Walsh, who was sacked after West Indies tour of Pakistan. (Walsh did well initially with series wins over New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka. A loss to Australia and a whitewash in Pakistan followed).
The WICB initially rejected the selectors' recommendation of Brian Lara as captain instead of Courtney Walsh but Lara nevertheless appointed, and won the series against Mike Atherton's England.
1998-99
Holed up in a London Airport hotel on its way to South Africa, the team made demands on conditions and retainer contracts : Lara as captain and Hooper as vice captain were sacked, then reinstated. "The junior players found themselves dragged into a dispute in which the seniors were largely seeking a pay increase for themselves" (Wisden).
West Indies manager Clive Lloyd thought it was a mistake to go ahead with 1998-99 South Africa tour after the players' protest over pay and conditions, made in London between planes to South Africa. Bryan Davis, a critic, said 'Brian [Lara] is an enigma and he displays the best of himself and the worst. Being one of the leaders put him into a powerful position and that really started the decline of West Indies cricket'" .
March 1999
Criticism grew and Lara's captaincy became beset by difficulties. Marshall was unable to continue as coach while undergoing cancer treatment, so Viv Richards carried out the coaching role with manager Clive Lloyd. Then vice-captain Carl Hooper
suddenly retired and withdrew from 1999 World Cup team.
October 1999
Malcolm Marshall's three-year term as coach and Lloyd's stint as manager ended.
Marshall died on 4 November.
On 25 February 2000 Lara resigns as West Indies captain after New Zealand defeat, owing to lack of success in two years in the post, and took a sabbatical.
March 2000
Jimmy Adams
appointed skipper for the series at home against Zimbabwe and then in England. Franklyn Rose and Chris Gayle were not considered for the tour of Australia, according to selector Mike Findlay because of "attitude problems during the trip to England"
2001
After two series wins, against Pakistan and Zimbabwe, and then losses to England and Australia, Jimmy Adams quit. Carl Hooper
became captain again (coming out of retirement at age 35).
Troubles continued around the team. Rumours that manager of the West Indies team, Ricky Skerritt, and coach Roger Harper would be replaced after 15 months of a three-year contract. Psychologist Joe Hoad, a qualified sports psychologist and son of 1930 West Indies captain Teddy Hoad, appointed to the West Indies team on tour in December 2000 was at odds with Skerritt . Hoad resigned citing "major problems" among the players, including general indifference, low fitness levels and an aversion to hard work.
31 March 2003
Brian Lara
was appointed West Indies captain for a second time. Lara was reinstated after being persuaded by then President Wes Hall to return when Carl Hooper was dismissed after the West Indies' first round exit from the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
"The angry Hooper refused to make a decision whether he would be available to play. After three days he declined to play under Lara, ending his Test career at the age of 36. They had been good friends. Now a firm friendship was ended.".
2004
Bennett King eventually accepted the job of coach on a three-year contract up to the 2007 World Cup. King was not only a member of the selection committee, he also had the casting vote, while the captain was not even to be a selector.
18 March 2005
Lara would not commit to play in the home series against South Africa during a protracted dispute over individual and team sponsorship, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul
was appointed captain instead.
12 April 2006
Chanderpaul's resignation as skipper, following the tour of New Zealand. The selectors recalled Brian Lara, mainly on the insistence of new Trinidadian WICB president, Ken Gordon
.
April 2007
At the end of 2007 World Cup Brian Lara retired. Ramnaresh Sarwan
was appointed skipper. Chair of Selectors Gordon Greenidge said Daren Ganga
was the only other person considered, but in July, Chris Gayle
became skipper when Sarwan was injured, despite WICB having earlier vetoed his appointment.
October 2007
Six months' after Bennett King's resignation, John Dyson
, formerly coach of Sri Lanka, took over as coach, to work with Gayle who retained the captaincy when Sarwan returned from injury.
1920s
January 1928H.B.G.Austin
Harold Austin
Sir Harold Bruce Gardiner Austin OBE was a West Indian politician and cricketer. He was known as H.B.G.....
, President of the new West Indies Cricket Board of Control
West Indies Cricket Board
The West Indies Cricket Board is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies...
, assumed captaincy of the first Test-playing tour of England in 1928
West Indian cricket team in England in 1928
The West Indian cricket team that toured England in the 1928 season was the first to play Test cricket. The team was not very successful, losing all three Tests by an innings and winning only five of the 30 first-class matches played....
. However, at the age of 50, he was to stand aside before the tour.
Karl Nunes
Karl Nunes
Robert Karl Nunes was a West Indian cricketer who played in West Indies' first Test in their inaugural Test tour of England as wicketkeeper and captain....
appointed captain instead for inaugural West Indies tour of England. "Leadership was a white function. So in the economy, so in cricket."
M.C.C. Committee member Mr R H Mallett, 70, was charged to act as West Indian team manager, as he had done in 1906 and 1923.
1930s
February 1930The West Indies Board
West Indies Cricket Board
The West Indies Cricket Board is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in the West Indies...
named different captains for the four Tests against touring M.C.C.
Marylebone Cricket Club
Marylebone Cricket Club is a cricket club in London founded in 1787. Its influence and longevity now witness it as a private members' club dedicated to the development of cricket. It owns, and is based at, Lord's Cricket Ground in St John's Wood, London NW8. MCC was formerly the governing body of...
from the colony where each match was played, including 42 year-old Nelson Betancourt
Nelson Betancourt
Nelson Betancourt - was a cricketer who was a useful batsman and an occasional wicketkeeper and bowler. He was born in Trinidad on June 4, 1887 and died there on October 12, 1947, aged 60....
who was the choice in Trinidad for his sole Test appearance.
April 1930
R.H.Mallett, about to return to England after managing the 1929-30 MCC touring party, met the West Indies Board and recommended G C 'Jack' Grant
Jackie Grant
George Copeland Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained the side through several series.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. He captained the West Indies' team in the 1930-31, 1933, 1934-35 series...
as captain for the Australian tour
West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1930-31
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in 1930-31 and played 5 Test matches against Australia. Australia won the series 4-1.-Test series summary:* at Adelaide Oval – Australia won by 10 wickets...
, even though Grant had no experience of captaincy and had never played in West Indies before. In his biography Grant confessed "I was younger than all of the sixteen players, save three; and most of these sixteen had already played for the West Indies, while I had not. Yet I was the captain. It could not be disputed that my white colour was a major factor in my being given this post."
"A policy at the time was to choose a nucleus of six players for the Test team and then complete the eleven with others from the 'home' territory," wrote Michael Manley . This is a bit of an exaggeration - a nucleus of seven or eight perhaps, because team selection was now in the hands of the West Indies Cricket Board rather than the colony where the Test match was played.
1933 to 1934-35
Jack Grant was heavily engaged in education in Grenada but was retained as West Indian captain for the 1933 tour of England
West Indian cricket team in England in 1933
The West Indies cricket team toured England in 1933, playing three Test matches, losing two of them and drawing the other. In all, the side played 30 first-class matches, winning only five and losing nine....
and for the visit by MCC in 1934-35
English cricket team in West Indies in 1934-35
The English cricket team in the West Indies in 1934-35 was a cricket touring party sent to the West Indies under the auspices of the MCC for a tour lasting for two-and-a-half months in 1934-35...
.
When injury forced Grant to leave the field in the Kingston Test, he asked Learie Constantine
Learie Constantine
Learie Nicholas Constantine, Baron Constantine MBE was a West Indian cricketer who played 18 Test matches before the Second World War. He took West Indies' first wicket in Test cricket and was the team's leading all-rounder and opening bowler for the entirety of his career...
to take over.
1938-39
The Board appointed one selector to represent each region: For the 1939 tour
West Indian cricket team in England in 1939
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1939 season to play a three-match Test series against England. England won the series 1-0 with two matches drawn. A total of 25 first-class matches was played and the West Indian side won eight of them and lost six, with the others drawn...
party none had strong cricketing credentials.
"In selecting captains .. the authorities were not consciously against Headley and Constantine…… the selectors acted to preserve opportunity for their own class… confident that the best interests of the sport were being protected." (Michael Manley)
February 1939
When Jackie Grant
Jack Grant
Jack W. Grant was an Australian rules footballer who played with Geelong and Fitzroy in the VFL.Grant usually played on the half forward or half back flanks....
gave up cricket to become a missionary (like his grandfather), his brother Rolph Grant
Rolph Grant
Rolph Stewart Grant was a West Indian cricketer who captained them in their 1939 tour of England.Grant was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago.-References:...
became captain for the 1939 tour
West Indian cricket team in England in 1939
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1939 season to play a three-match Test series against England. England won the series 1-0 with two matches drawn. A total of 25 first-class matches was played and the West Indian side won eight of them and lost six, with the others drawn...
rather than George Headley
George Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
"The appointment of Rolph Grant was historically necessary, for British colonialism based itself on the idea that the colonised were inferior people who were incapable of self-rule. The whites in the colonies subscribed to this fallacy, so they could not appoint a black skipper : to do so would have been tantamount to rejecting the cardinal logic of colonialism."
1940s
1947-48"N.N. Nethersole, lawyer and deputy leader of Norman Manley's People's National Party, launched his campaign on George Headley's behalf." He challenged the Cricket Board's outlook that property ownership endows with the characteristics of leadership. '"[His] constancy and judgement, necessary for national and international negotiation, may well have been sharpened by the arguments and the efforts to avoid pitfalls of insularity in selection in the board room of the West Indian Cricket Board of Control.'
For one Test in Barbados George Headley
George Headley
George Alphonso Headley was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches, mostly before the Second World War. Considered one of the best batsmen to play for West Indies and one of the greatest cricketers of all time, Headley also represented Jamaica and played professional club cricket in...
became the first black man appointed to captain West Indies. But then Gerry Gomez and John Goddard were given the captaincy in the remainder of the series against England.
1948-49
John Goddard
John Goddard
John Douglas Claude Goddard was a cricketer and one-time captain of the West Indies Test side.Goddard was born in Fontabelle, St Michael, Barbados. He captained the West Indian team through several tours, including West Indies' maiden tours of India and New Zealand. His first stretch as a...
was appointed for the tour of India, and a year later after some hesitation confirmed that he would also be available to lead West Indies in England in 1950
West Indian cricket team in England in 1950
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1950 season to play a four-match Test series against England.West Indies won the series 3-1 with no matches drawn.-Test series summary:* at Old Trafford – England won by 202 runs...
.
The selectors were Edgar Marsden (Trinidad), Noel Nethersole (Jamaica), Frederick Clairmonte (Barbados) and Alec Drayton and Maurice Green (British Guiana), while the on-tour committee was simply made up of the white members of the team - Goddard, Gomez and Stollmeyer.
1950s
April 1951Goddard was retained as captain for tour of Australia
West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1951-52
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1951-52 season and played five Test matches against Australia. The series was billed as the "World Championship of cricket", with both teams having beaten England in the previous 18 months...
. However, his criticisms of the Board for agreeing to the match itinerary for the Australian tour led to him being excluded from West Indian team for three years. During the series against Australia, West Indies lost 4-1, as the senior players declined to offer him any on the field advice after they felt he had taken all the credit for the victory in England in 1950. "He succumbed to his own tactical deficiencies" (Michael Manley).
1952-53
Jeffrey Stollmeyer became captain starting with a Test series against the visiting 1953 Indians. His cricket knowledge unquestionably made him worthy of the position of captain.
1954-55
Denis Atkinson
Denis Atkinson
Denis St Eval Atkinson was a West Indian cricketer who played 22 Test matches as an all-rounder, hitting 922 runs and taking 47 wickets. He also played first-class cricket for Barbados and Trinidad...
, Stollmeyer's deputy, led West Indies in three of the five Tests against Australia. "About 2,000 people protested, at the Kingston Race Course, against the appointment of Atkinson, the Barbados all-rounder, as captain of the West Indies for the fourth and fifth Tests against the Australians. They wanted Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
, who was named vice-captain."
1955-56
Atkinson nevertheless was kept on as captain of a West Indies team to New Zealand in 1955-56 with John Goddard manager (these appointments made nearly two years before the tour so they were not connected with Atkinson being rewarded for scoring a double century against Australia).
WI Board representatives such as Noel Pierce (Barbados) continued to man the selection panel but non-whites like the British Guiana secretary Ken Wishart
Kenneth Wishart
Kenneth Leslie Wishart was a West Indian cricketer who played in one Test in 1934-35....
who had opposed Atkinson's captaincy , and Berkeley Gaskin
Berkeley Gaskin
Berkeley Bertram McGarrell Gaskin was a West Indian cricketer who played in two Tests in 1947-48....
, and players a cut above like Gerry Gomez
Gerry Gomez
Gerry Ethridge Gomez was a West Indian cricketer who played 29 Tests for the West Indies between 1939 and 1954, scoring 1,243 runs and taking 58 wickets. He captained in one match for the West Indies when England toured in 1947/8.Gomez was born in Port of Spain, Trinidad...
began to be appointed, as in 1957.
October 1956
For the 1957 England tour
West Indian cricket team in England in 1957
The West Indies cricket team toured England in the 1957 season to play a five-match Test series against England.England won the series 3-0 with two matches drawn...
"John Goddard was restored from retirement as captain (passing over more suitable candidates in Jeffrey Stollmeyer and even Denis Atkinson), and Clyde Walcott
Clyde Walcott
Sir Clyde Leopold Walcott, KA, GCM was a West Indian cricketer. Walcott was a member of the "three W's", the other two being Everton Weekes and Frank Worrell: all were very successful batsmen from Barbados, born within a short distance of each other in Bridgetown, Barbados in a period of 18...
replaced Worrell as vice-captain – it was still several years before a black man could be accepted as full captain. He (Walcott) would not have been the "easier option" which the administrators had imagined." Goddard was a failure as captain. "That his selection in 1957 was a travesty was not his fault" (Manley).
1958
Gerry Alexander
Gerry Alexander
Franz Copeland Murray "Gerry" Alexander was a Jamaican cricketer who played 25 Tests for the West Indies...
was appointed captain for home series against Pakistan 1957-58 and for the next two years. An "Alexander Must Go" campaign was mounted by CLR James, then the editor of The Nation. "The idea of Alexander captaining a side on which Frank Worrell is playing," he wrote, "is to me quite revolting."
1960s
1960"Alexander told the selectors that the time had come for Worrell to take over the leadership but they pressed him to continue. He eventually agreed with some reluctance" (Manley). As the last white man to captain West Indies was leading the Test side against England
English cricket team in West Indies in 1959-60
The English cricket team in the West Indies in 1959-60 played five Test matches, eight other first-class matches and two minor games. England won the Test series by one match to nil, with the other four matches being drawn.- The England touring party :...
, it was announced that Frank Worrell would take the team to Australia.
1960-61 to 1963
Gerry Gomez was appointed Chairman of Selectors and also manager of the tour of Australia
West Indian cricket team in Australia in 1960-61
The West Indies cricket team toured Australia in the 1960-61 season under the captaincy of Frank Worrell. Both Worrell and his opposing captain, Richie Benaud, encouraged their teams to play attacking cricket. The first Test of the five match series ended in a dramatic tie, the first of only two...
. "I shall not let this question rest," thundered C L R James in The Nation, "This fooling with West Indies' captaincy has gone on too long".
Worrell was at last made captain for the Australia and England tours, and he proved to be an outstanding captain. "Graceful, poised and dignified, Worrell embodied all that was noble and deeply attractive in the West Indian character. Articulate, sensitive and West Indian to the core, he gave substance to the view that unity should be the hallmark of the region and its cricket team. He transformed a bunch of talented and individual players into a unified team." Allan Rae, former opening batsman and a lawyer who would soon become a catalyst for progress on the Board, was now a selector.
1964
On his retirement, Worrell recommended that Garfield Sobers
Garfield Sobers
Sir Garfield St Aubrun Sobers AO, OCC is a former cricketer who captained West Indies. His first name of Garfield is variously abbreviated as Gary or Garry. He is widely regarded as one of cricket's greatest ever all-rounders, having excelled at all the essential skills of batting, bowling and...
should take over as captain in preference to long-serving understudy Conrad Hunte
Conrad Hunte
Sir Conrad Cleophas Hunte, KA was a Barbadian cricketer. Hunte played 44 Test matches as an opening batsman for the West Indies.-Early life and career:...
. "There was speculation that Hunte's continuous proselytising for his [moral rearmament] beliefs even within the dressing-room told against him." (Cricinfo) Sobers led West Indies in 39 Test matches and won series victories against all comers.Sir Frank Worrell
Frank Worrell
Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell is sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae and was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator...
was made team manager against Australia 1964-65. His potential managerial contribution to West Indies cricket was cut short by his early death in 1967.
March 1968
Sobers faltered at Port of Spain
Queen's Park Oval
Queen's Park Oval, in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is currently the largest capacity cricket ground in the West Indies and has hosted more Test matches than any other ground in the Caribbean. It also hosted a number of matches in the 2007 Cricket World Cup. It is privately owned by the...
, in the 4th Test against England when his declaration on the final day saw England scramble home with just three minutes left in the game . Team manager Everton Weekes
Everton Weekes
Sir Everton DeCourcy Weekes, KCMG, GCM, OBE is a leading former West Indian cricketer. Along with Frank Worrell and Clyde Walcott, he formed what was known as "The Three Ws" of West Indian cricket.-Youth and early career:...
distanced himself from the decision to make the declaration.
West Indies did not win another series under Sobers.
1970s
1970Sobers captained the Rest of The World
Rest of the World cricket team in England in 1970
A Rest of the World cricket team was assembled to play five-day cricket matches against the full England team in 1970 after the cancellation of the scheduled tour by the South African cricket team. At the time the matches were deemed to be Test matches, but that was later revoked.-The background to...
sides against England (and again in Australia). At the end of the series the "politically unconscious Sobers" (Manley) participated in a double wicket tournament in Rhodesia
History of cricket in Rhodesia and Zimbabwe to 1992
This article is an introduction to the history of first-class cricket in Zimbabwe, formerly Rhodesia and Southern Rhodesia...
, causing uproar and demands that he should be sacked as captain. He was forced to apologise, and, with no alternative captain in view, "a grateful Caribbean grabbed the apology with both hands." (Manley)
1973
Sobers declared himself unavailable as a player on being asked by the West Indies Cricket Board of Control to prove his fitness, so he was replaced as captain by Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...
for the 1973 home series against Australia. Sobers had "... led a strong side effectively but not shown the capacity to lift a weak or ageing side" (Manley)
"Cecil Marley, president of the West Indies Cricket Board, asked me who I would recommend as my successor," wrote Sobers. "I opted initially for David Holford
David Holford
David Anthony Jerome Holford is a former West Indian cricketer who played in 24 Tests from 1966 to 1977. He is the cousin of Garry Sobers.-References:...
but I didn't think he would be accepted as my nomination because he was my relative. I offered Clive Lloyd as an alternative choice but Clive had not even been invited to join the squad, so my third choice would be Rohan Kanhai."
Kanhai retained the captaincy for the 1973 tour of England
West Indian cricket team in England in 1973
The West Indian cricket team in England in 1973 played 17 first-class matches including three Tests. The team won the series against England by two matches to nil, with one drawn game...
, which West Indies won 2-0. "Kanhai is credited with restoring both discipline and morale to the side" (Manley).
Suggestions of regional bias caused by each territory having a representative on the selection panel led to a reduction to three selectors only. This panel would be joined by the captain.
25 May 1974
Clive Lloyd
Clive Lloyd
Clive Hubert Lloyd CBE AO is a former West Indies cricketer. He captained the West Indies between 1974 and 1985 and oversaw their rise to become the dominant Test-playing nation, a position that was only relinquished in the latter half of the 1990s...
appointed captain for 1974-75 tour of India. Lloyd lasted as captain for ten years working to make cricketers from different nations and backgrounds a proud, unified team throughout his time. He won the one-day World Cup
1975 Cricket World Cup
-Group B:-Knockout stage:-Semifinals:In the best World Cup performance to date by a bowler, Gary Gilmour took six wickets as England were bowled all out for 93 , after falling to 37/7...
tournaments in 1975 and again in 1979.
1976
West Indies retained the Wisden Trophy against England
West Indian cricket team in England in 1976
The West Indian cricket team toured England in 1976, spending virtually the whole of the 1976 English cricket season in England. West Indies also played one match in Ireland in July....
3-0: "A third factor is apt to be overlooked because of the brilliance of the batting and bowling. It was Lloyd's captaincy. He led his men with a sure touch, kept them together, maintained discipline and began to act as the father figure of the side" (Manley). Clyde Walcott resumed as team manager, "As a manager who had played the game, he lent credibility to what he was trying to instill in the players," said Deryck Murray
Deryck Murray
Deryck Lance Murray is a former West Indies cricketer. A wicketkeeper and right-handed batsman, Murray kept wicket to the potent West Indian fast bowling attacks of the 1970s ; his efficient glovework effected 189 Test dismissals and greatly enhanced the potency of the bowling attack.Murray...
1977-78
Clive Lloyd joined Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket
World Series Cricket was a break away professional cricket competition staged between 1977 and 1979 and organised by Kerry Packer for his Australian television network, Nine Network. The matches ran in opposition to established international cricket...
(WSC) in 1977. He quit the West Indies captaincy when Haynes, Austin and Murray were dropped from the team for playing in Packer's World Series and all the remaining WSC members in the team including Richards, Greenidge, Garner, Roberts and Holding also immediately dropped out.
Alvin Kallicharran became stand-in captain for the remainder of the series against Australia and on the tour of India.
1979-80
Clive Lloyd was reinstated for the 1979 World Cup
1979 Cricket World Cup
The 1979 Cricket World Cup was the second edition of the tournament and was won by the West Indies. It was held from June 9 to June 23, 1979 in England. The format had remained unchanged from 1975. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in 2 groups of 4...
and 1979-80 tour of Australia. Walcott was again World Cup manager.
Apologies were required after players made indisciplined responses to umpiring decisions in New Zealand. (Willie Rodriguez
Willie Rodriguez
William Vicente Rodriguez is a former West Indian cricketer who played in five Tests from 1962 to 1968....
was then manager) but the team kept winning. One factor was that Dennis Waight
Dennis Waight
Colonel Dennis Edward Francis Waight was a British army professional infantryman. After being decorated for valor while serving as a fusilier early in World War I, he flew in combat as an aerial observer until war's end...
, engaged as trainer and physio, enforced a rigorous training regime.
1980s
1982–83A West Indian rebel team led by Lawrence Rowe
Lawrence Rowe
Lawrence George Rowe is a former West Indian cricketer.Lawrence, also known as "Yagga", was an elegant right-handed batsman described by Michael Holding, his team mate, as "the best batsman I ever saw". It was felt that his ability was so extraordinary that Sobers believed he could have been the...
toured South Africa
South African rebel tours
The South African rebel tours were a series of seven cricket tours staged between 1982 and 1990. They were known as the rebel tours because South Africa was throughout this period banned from international cricket due to the apartheid regime...
. It included players like Alvin Kallicharran, Colin Croft, Collis King and Sylvester Clarke. Deprived of its full-strength, West Indies lost the 1983 World Cup to India.
1983-4
Lloyd was persuaded to change his mind after 1983 World Cup
1983 Cricket World Cup
The 1983 ICC Cricket World Cup was the third edition of the ICC Cricket World Cup tournament. It was held from 9 June to 25 June 1983 in England and was won by India. Eight countries participated in the event. The preliminary matches were played in two groups of four teams each, and each...
and stay on as captain for the tour of India and a triangular ODI tournament. Clive Lloyd's career as West Indies captain came to an end after series in Australia in 1984-85.
1985
Vivian Richards was appointed captain starting with ODI series in Pakistan. Vice-captain Desmond Haynes
Desmond Haynes
Desmond Leo Haynes is a West Indian cricketer and cricket coach. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1991. Haynes formed a formidable partnership with Gordon Greenidge for the West Indies cricket team in Test cricket during 1980s. Between them they managed 16 century stands, four in excess of...
captained the West Indies touring party on a Test visit to Pakistan.
1990s
1991Richards is the only West Indies captain never to lose a Test series, which reflected his fierce will to win and the way he drove his team. After 50 Tests in which he retained West Indies' place as the prevailing force in world Test cricket, Viv Richards retired as West Indies Test captain. "He was impatient with error... but commanded respect and loyalty of the troops whom he led because he was a great player." (Manley)
1991-92
Jackie Hendricks was Chairman of Selectors when the Board appointed Richie Richardson
Richie Richardson
Richard Benjamin Richardson is a retired West Indies cricketer and a former captain of the West Indian cricket team.Richardson was born in Five Islands Village, Antigua. He began his career with the Leewards Islands in 1982 as an opener and after his second season he was called up by the West...
. Desmond Haynes, the man being groomed for the role and Richards' vice-captain, was elbowed out of the captaincy ….. "that was when the Board failed to understand the importance of the influence of Haynes as a senior member of the Lloyd/Richards era being needed to make the transition, to bring the culture, the work ethic and the spirit of domination to another group."
1992
A poor showing by the West Indies in the 1992 World Cup in Australia
1992 Cricket World Cup
-New Zealand:-Round Robin Stage:Co-hosts New Zealand proved the surprise packet of the tournament, winning their first seven games to finish on top of the table after the round robin. The other hosts, Australia, were one of the pre-tournament favourites but lost their first two matches. They...
and a young team reeling from the retirement of Richards, Greenidge and Marshall led to the West Indies calling on former skipper Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Kanhai
Rohan Bholalall Kanhai is a former West Indian Cricket player of Indo-Guyanese descent. He is widely considered as one of the best batsmen of the 1960s. Kanhai featured in several great West Indian teams, playing with, among others, Sir Garfield Sobers, Roy Fredericks, Lance Gibbs, and Alvin...
as their first coach, appointed by the WICB in autumn 1992.
1994
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
appointed stand-in captain for the tours of India and New Zealand after Richie Richardson was ordered to rest because of "acute fatigue syndrome".
Kanhai complained about disciplinary problems among the West Indian players, and relinquished the job in 1995.
1994-95
Richardson returned as captain for the home series against Australia but without Haynes to give his support "WICB's controversial eligibility rule was used to exclude Haynes, the Barbadian batsmen, from the home series against Australia. Haynes, who was 39 at the time, had missed one match during that year's regional competition because of a professional contract with Western Province in South Africa and was left out of the West Indies team."
1995-96
Wes Hall
Wes Hall
Wesley Winfield Hall is a Barbadian former cricketer and politician. A tall, strong and powerfully built man, Hall was a genuine fast bowler and despite his very long run up, he was renowned for his ability to bowl long spells. Hall played 48 Test matches for the West Indies from 1958 to 1969...
manager in England with Andy Roberts as coach. Disciplinary measures needed : Winston Benjamin was sent home from the tour of England.
At the end of the 1996 World Cup during which Kenya surprisingly beat West Indies at Pune, Richie Richardson resigned as captain. Andy Roberts was sacked as coach, and Wes Hall ended his term as team manager.
March 1996
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former international cricketer who represented the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, captaining the West Indies in 22 Test matches...
became captain. The WICB persuaded Clive Lloyd who lived in England and was detached from the politics of West Indies cricket, to become Manager. Walsh was given a say in selection but Lloyd said that as manager he too should be on the selection panel proper, not simply on tour.
March 1997
Brian Lara became captain for the first time in the third Test against India in the absence of the injured Courtney Walsh and won the match by 38 runs so that WI won the series 1-0.
January 1998
Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
appointed West Indies captain to succeed Courtney Walsh, who was sacked after West Indies tour of Pakistan. (Walsh did well initially with series wins over New Zealand, India and Sri Lanka. A loss to Australia and a whitewash in Pakistan followed).
The WICB initially rejected the selectors' recommendation of Brian Lara as captain instead of Courtney Walsh but Lara nevertheless appointed, and won the series against Mike Atherton's England.
1998-99
Holed up in a London Airport hotel on its way to South Africa, the team made demands on conditions and retainer contracts : Lara as captain and Hooper as vice captain were sacked, then reinstated. "The junior players found themselves dragged into a dispute in which the seniors were largely seeking a pay increase for themselves" (Wisden).
West Indies manager Clive Lloyd thought it was a mistake to go ahead with 1998-99 South Africa tour after the players' protest over pay and conditions, made in London between planes to South Africa. Bryan Davis, a critic, said 'Brian [Lara] is an enigma and he displays the best of himself and the worst. Being one of the leaders put him into a powerful position and that really started the decline of West Indies cricket'" .
March 1999
Criticism grew and Lara's captaincy became beset by difficulties. Marshall was unable to continue as coach while undergoing cancer treatment, so Viv Richards carried out the coaching role with manager Clive Lloyd. Then vice-captain Carl Hooper
Carl Hooper
Carl Llewellyn Hooper is a former West Indian cricket player and captain.-Career:He was a right-handed batsman and off-spin bowler, who came to prominence in the late 1980s in a side that included such players as Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh and represented...
suddenly retired and withdrew from 1999 World Cup team.
October 1999
Malcolm Marshall's three-year term as coach and Lloyd's stint as manager ended.
Marshall died on 4 November.
2000s
Feb 2000On 25 February 2000 Lara resigns as West Indies captain after New Zealand defeat, owing to lack of success in two years in the post, and took a sabbatical.
March 2000
Jimmy Adams
Jimmy Adams
James Clive "Jimmy" Adams is a former Jamaican cricketer, who represented the West Indies as player and captain during his career. He was a steady left-handed batsman, useful left-arm orthodox spin bowler and good fielder, especially in the gully position...
appointed skipper for the series at home against Zimbabwe and then in England. Franklyn Rose and Chris Gayle were not considered for the tour of Australia, according to selector Mike Findlay because of "attitude problems during the trip to England"
2001
After two series wins, against Pakistan and Zimbabwe, and then losses to England and Australia, Jimmy Adams quit. Carl Hooper
Carl Hooper
Carl Llewellyn Hooper is a former West Indian cricket player and captain.-Career:He was a right-handed batsman and off-spin bowler, who came to prominence in the late 1980s in a side that included such players as Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Malcolm Marshall and Courtney Walsh and represented...
became captain again (coming out of retirement at age 35).
Troubles continued around the team. Rumours that manager of the West Indies team, Ricky Skerritt, and coach Roger Harper would be replaced after 15 months of a three-year contract. Psychologist Joe Hoad, a qualified sports psychologist and son of 1930 West Indies captain Teddy Hoad, appointed to the West Indies team on tour in December 2000 was at odds with Skerritt . Hoad resigned citing "major problems" among the players, including general indifference, low fitness levels and an aversion to hard work.
31 March 2003
Brian Lara
Brian Lara
Brian Charles Lara, TC, OCC, AM is a former West Indian international cricket player. Lara is generally regarded as one of the greatest batsmen of all time...
was appointed West Indies captain for a second time. Lara was reinstated after being persuaded by then President Wes Hall to return when Carl Hooper was dismissed after the West Indies' first round exit from the 2003 World Cup in South Africa.
"The angry Hooper refused to make a decision whether he would be available to play. After three days he declined to play under Lara, ending his Test career at the age of 36. They had been good friends. Now a firm friendship was ended.".
2004
Bennett King eventually accepted the job of coach on a three-year contract up to the 2007 World Cup. King was not only a member of the selection committee, he also had the casting vote, while the captain was not even to be a selector.
18 March 2005
Lara would not commit to play in the home series against South Africa during a protracted dispute over individual and team sponsorship, and Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Shivnarine "Shiv" Chanderpaul is a cricketer, and former captain of the West Indies cricket team. He is the first Indo-Caribbean in the West Indies team to play 100 Tests for the West Indies and has captained them in 14 Tests and 16 One Day Internationals...
was appointed captain instead.
12 April 2006
Chanderpaul's resignation as skipper, following the tour of New Zealand. The selectors recalled Brian Lara, mainly on the insistence of new Trinidadian WICB president, Ken Gordon
Ken Gordon (Trinidad)
Kenneth "Ken" Gordon is a Trinidadian businessman and former politician.He went to Saint Mary's College and went away to study in the United States and United Kingdom to further his studies. He went into broadcasting in the early 1950s as a radio announcer for Radio Trinidad. He later became...
.
April 2007
At the end of 2007 World Cup Brian Lara retired. Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ramnaresh Sarwan
Ramnaresh Ronnie Sarwan is a West Indian cricketer of Indo-Guyanese origin and a member of the West Indies cricket team....
was appointed skipper. Chair of Selectors Gordon Greenidge said Daren Ganga
Daren Ganga
Daren Ganga is a West Indian cricketer of East Indian descent. He is a right-handed top order batsman and part-time right-arm offbreak bowler. After debuting as a 19 year old he has found himself in and out of the West Indies team, playing regularly for and at times captaining the West Indies A...
was the only other person considered, but in July, Chris Gayle
Chris Gayle
Christopher Henry "Chris" Gayle is a Jamaican cricketer who currently plays international cricket for the West Indies. He captained the West Indies' side from 2007 to 2010. He plays domestic cricket for Jamaica, and has also represented Worcestershire, the Western Warriors and the Kolkata Knight...
became skipper when Sarwan was injured, despite WICB having earlier vetoed his appointment.
October 2007
Six months' after Bennett King's resignation, John Dyson
John Dyson
John Dyson is a former international cricketer who is now a cricket coach, most recently in charge of the West Indies....
, formerly coach of Sri Lanka, took over as coach, to work with Gayle who retained the captaincy when Sarwan returned from injury.