Cricket: Calypso dreaming for West Indian Dream Team

Curtly Ambrose celebrates a test wicket - he claimed 404 victims in an illustrious career. Picture / Reuters

How does a New Zealand cricket scribe go about choosing a West Indian Dream Team from a selection of candidates some of whom he never had the privilege of witnessing first-hand? With extreme difficulty would be the reply.

But, in the interests of office arguments and tea-room food fights, we today present one man's idea of what a Caribbean Paradise would look like and, just for the hell of it, a West Indian second XI that appears almost as strong.

Yes, we know. There is no sign of Courtney Walsh or Clive Lloyd and, on closer inspection, there's only two of the three Ws, no recognised spinner - and Viv appears in the batting only at No.7.

Throw in the absence of the West Indies' most successful gloveman, Jeff Dujon, the snub delivered to fast-bowlers Wes Hall and Charlie Griffiths, and the non-selection of Desmond Haynes and Rohan Kanhai, and it's clear our correspondent has lost the plot.

But there is some madness in his method.

For starters, Clyde Walcott would attend the wicket-keeping duties, as he did adequately for 15 of his 44 tests.

The feeling was that, with a batting average of 56.68 and 15 centuries, he wouldn't be too shabby appearing down the order.

No Sonny Ramadhin, no Alf Valentine nor Lance Gibbs; but there is at least Garry Sobers, who could bowl left-arm orthodox spin and, when he became bored with that, change to left-arm wrist spinners.

With regard to Clive Lloyd's non-appearance, please reread the previous paragraph and remember that Sobers - who captured 235 test wickets - could also bowl a bit.

There will be those who decry the absence of Haynes, who formed a fearsome opening combination with Gordon Greenidge through the 1980s, but Hunte's opening credentials are also worthy and he was renowned for his dedication to the cause.

It could be said the bowling attack lacks variety but, let's be honest here: who would you rather face ... a tricky finger-spinner with an arm-ball or a doosra - or a fast-bowler hell-bent on breaking your arms?

Walsh was unlucky, as was Andy Roberts, but the sheer weight of great West Indian fast bowlers meant some world-class practitioners had to miss the cut, including others such as Ian Bishop.

It was the same with the batting, our selector insisted players such as Worrell, Alvin Kallicharran and Lawrence Rowe were swamped by the compelling records of their team-mates from past and present.

For the record, the 2nd XI (these days called the A team, no doubt) might have been: Haynes, Roy Fredericks, Richie Richardson, Rohan Kanhai, Alvin Kallicharran, Frank Worrell, Clive Lloyd, Jeff Dujon, Andy Roberts, Wes Hall, Courtney Walsh, Lance Gibbs.

Conrad Hunte

An attacking batsman who curbed his natural instincts to play a sheet-anchor role for the good of his side, which was chock-full of stroke-makers. Made the crucial throw that ran out Wally Grout in the historic tied test at Brisbane. Devastated to be passed over as skipper when Worrell retired - Sobers received the nod instead.

Gordon Greenidge

One of the world's most brutal and powerful opening batsman, he embarrassed England with an awe-inspiring 214 not out at Lord's in 1984, after David Gower had the temerity to declare only 342 ahead. Gave new meaning to the opener's mantra "taking the shine off the ball". Plagued by leg-problems but didn't need to run between the wickets much, anyway.

Brian Lara

The only member of the present squad to make the Dream Team. Broke the first-class and test scoring records (501* and 375) during a two-month purple patch in 1994. Defied the 1998-99 Australian tourists with a sequence of 213, 8, 153 not out and 100. The only player to reclaim test cricket's individual batting record when he posted an unbeaten 400 against England in 2004. A year later he eclipsed Allan Border's world record tally of 11,174 runs.

George Headley

Remembered as the "Black Bradman" although West Indies fans liked to call Bradman the "White Headley". The first of the great West Indian batsmen to emerge from the Caribbean. In 1939 he became the first to score a century in each innings of a test at Lord's. Wisden notes that Sir Leonard Hutton, who saw him at his best in 1939, declared that he'd never seen a batsman play the ball later.

Garry Sobers (capt)

The greatest all-rounder in the history of the game, Sir Garfieldwas born with a sixth finger on each hand (removed at birth) but excelled in just about every sport he tried, from athletics and soccer to golf and basketball. Made his test debut against England in 1953-54, when only 17. His maiden test century (365* v Pakistan in 1958), stood as test cricket's highest score for 36 years. As skipper of Nottinghamshire, he hit six sixes in an over against Glamorgan in 1968. Two years earlier, he slammed 722 runs in five tests against England, took 20 wickets - and held ten catches for good measure.

Everton Weekes

Booed by the Kingston, Jamaica, crowd on debut in 1947-48 because he made the cut ahead of local favourite John Holt. Responded with 141. On the following tour of India scored 779 runs at 111.28 and set a world record of five successive hundreds, including 194 at Bombay. Against New Zealand in 1955-56 he hammered 940 runs at 104.44 in eight first-class matches. In 1995 he was the last of the three Ws to be knighted.

Viv Richards

The original Master Blaster, Richards finally hit form with 101 in the final test of the West Indies' disastrous tour of Australia in 1975-76. After that he smashed 556 runs, including three hundreds in four home tests against India. By the time he reached England in May he was near bullet-proof, and in four tests hammered 824 runs at 118.42 with two double centuries, culminating in a career-best 291 at The Oval. In 1976, Richards scored 1710 runs at 90.00 with seven centuries in 11 tests, both of which still remain records.

Clyde Walcott

In tandem with Frank Worrell, added an unbroken 574 for the fourth wicket for Barbados against Trinidad at Port-of-Spain in 1945-46, which remains the record West Indian stand for any wicket. Immortalised as one of the "Three Ws", Walcott was on fire between 1953 and 1955, posting a then-record West Indian series aggregate of 827 runs against Australia, including a record five centuries. At one stage, he hit 12 centuries in consecutive tests. Kept wicket for his first 15 tests.

Malcolm Marshall

In the mid-1980s, he was the world's most feared fast bowler in a world chock-full of fast bowlers. In 1983 he took 33 wickets in a six-test series against India; four months later he ran through the Australian line-up, taking five for 42 at Bridgetown, and five for 51 at Kingston. A year later at Headingly he produced his most courageous effort, batting with a broken left thumb long enough for Larry Gomes to score a century, before taking seven for 53 despite having his left arm in plaster. Produced the delivery in 1985-86 that shattered the face of England skipper Mike Gatting.

Michael Holding

Nicknamed Whispering Death for his gliding, effortless approach to the wicket, and the apparent lack of effort that would go into producing 160km/h deliveries. The central figure on the West Indian tour to England in 1976, when Tony Grieg made the ill-advised remark that he was going to make the tourists "grovel". The Windies won 3-0, taking the final test at the Oval by 231 runs after Holding snared eight for 92.

Joel Garner

Known as "Big Bird" (though probably not to his face), the 6ft8in Garner was always a handful for opposition batsmen, not only because of his fearsome pace, but also because of the steep bounce he could obtain. As if that was not bad enough for opponents, he also possessed a trademark yorker. Few of the top wicket-takers have a lower average than his 20.98. Broke the arm of New Zealand batsman Jeremy Coney in 1985.

Curtly Ambrose

Among Ambrose's 405 test wickets, two spells stand out: the 6 for 24 that routed England for 46 in Trinidad in 1993-94, and his series-clinching burst of 7 for one against Australia at the WACA the previous season.

Another huge man, Ambrose didn't say much but let his bowling do most of his talking. Like team-mates Marshall and Garner, Ambrose retired from test cricket with a scarcely believable average (20.99), including 22 five-wicket hauls.