Calypso Cocktail
Rabeed Imam from Grenada
It felt weird at times to the three travelling journalists who were covering the three-day warm-up match between Bangladesh and the West Indies Cricket Board XI at the Queen's Park Stadium. Although there were a couple of others commentating live on local radio, the imposing two-storied media stand with a perfect view of every corner of the ground, was eerily barren.So it was rather a pleasant shock when they heard over their shoulders "How are you all doing today gentlemen?" and turning back found the full six and a half feet frame of Colin Croft, the mean and fearsome fast bowler of the West Indies' golden era. It was time to discover the colourful side of Croft, owner of 125 wickets in just 27 Tests during the time of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding and Joel Garner. When the mechanical engineer cum airline pilot speaks, you listen. Suddenly an hour had passed and the deadlines were being stressed unwittingly. "I was never a professional, but played a professional sport," he happily admits and has no regrets about leaving top-level cricket at just 30 in 1981. "I enjoy flying more than cricket. It's orgasmic at times. Maybe I'll buy a plane and start flying again. But I don't have the money now," said the former Caribbean Airlines pilot. "You know, Bangladesh is the only cricket playing nation in the world where I haven't been yet," he says and then makes an assertion to warm the hearts of every Bangladeshi. "I was there in Northampton when you beat Pakistan in the 1999 World Cup and I'll tell you something. Till this day, I have no doubts in my mind whatsoever that Bangladesh genuinely won that match." FAST AND FURIOUS
The West Indian public is getting excited again. Suddenly you see the lost smiles coming back as they are seeing shades of the old. When Jermaine Lawson marked his long run for the three-day match against Bangladesh, a man standing square in the stands began to shout, "give it to dem, Maan." When Lawson dug one short and the ball wheezed past the Bangladesh batsman and thudded into the gloves of the wicketkeeper, the same person let out a scream of joy. "Dat's a fast bowler!" Similar scenes have been replayed over and over again in recent weeks when express Tino Best or Fidel Edwards had operated. A bouncer has been greeted with unbounded expression of ecstasy and sixes and fours from Dwayne Smith and others have sent the crowd and the posse in frenzy. This is the life of calypso cricket. Fast bowling and big hitting. Suddenly that music is returning.
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