“Being No. 1”

Aug 27, 2011 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
My daughter, Shannon, 22 on Monday 29 August, never lets me forget it:  “Father” she says authoritatively, “Whatever happens to you, don’t you ever forget this: I am always your only girl; No. 1!”
That old saying suggests that ‘fruits do not fall far from the tree.’  Very aggressive and impatient, she is also correct.  In whatever sphere of life, might it be sport or industry, there really is only one No. 1!
Being No. 1 in anything is not that difficult, not when compared to remaining there, even for a short time.   Former West Indies captains Clive Lloyd and Brian Lara had said it many times in their careers: “Climbing that hill to be No. 1 is the easy part.  Remaining as No. 1 takes so much more effort!”  Yup!
Worryingly though, ICC’s “All Time Team” did not even include (Sir) Garfield Sobers, thought to be, at least, the best all-rounder ever, not to mention that many think that he is the best batsman too; No. 1!
That Darren Sammy has been continued as West Indies captain is good, sensible news.  No, he is not the best bowler in West Indies, nor is he the best batsman either.  Indeed, he is not close to being best all-rounder in the Caribbean, but, he deserves to have that moniker, as he is team captain; El Numero Uno!
With that effort against India earlier this year, one that had only one negative spot – West Indies did not, as should have happened, beat India – Sammy was the obvious on-going choice.  It is an interesting exercise to understand and appreciate that there are not many contenders for that position anyway!
When boxing was really boxing, there was only one No. 1 – champion – in each weight group too.  That is why I had loved that sport so much then.  No-one else makes a boxer No. 1.  Only he does.  He is the one who has to go out, and, for 15 rounds, in the olden days, or 12, nowadays, decimate all opponents.
These days, boxing is a big waste, so watered down that no-one even knows who is fighting whom anymore.  I clearly remember boxing titans clashing; Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier – thrice – and especially the 1st Roberto Duran v Sugar Ray Leonard fight.  Every boxer had one objective; to be No. 1.
So, picture it – West Indies tour of England, 1980.  Everyone in the team is overly mesmerized by the slick, stealthy and sweet, Sugar Ray Leonard, thought to be the reincarnation of the original Sugar Ray – Robinson – except me.  With the history that I had on Roberto, I knew that he would win that 1st fight!
‘Manos de Piedra’ – Hands of Stone – Duran was the forerunner of ‘Iron’ Mike Tyson. Neither showed great finesse.  They were both big, strong, determined, with one purpose, as Larry Holmes once said; “To kill or to be killed.  You must be prepared to die, to win, and become No. 1!”  Or as Ali suggested too; “Round 13, Round 14, Round 15, championship rounds, rounds to be No. 1!”  Those were the days!
Leonard was tough.  In his career, Leonard did eventually beat Duran (“No mas!” Etc.), Thomas Hearns, Wilfredo Benitez and ‘Marvelous’ Marvin Hagler, as good as any boxer could be; genuine No. 1.  Leonard was also No. 1 pugilist to make more than US$100,000,000, (one hundred million US dollars) in boxing.
Anyway, 11:00pm in Montreal that barmy June night was 3:00am in London.  We were all up, looking and listening.  This was Montreal, where Sugar Ray had won gold, Olympics 1976, at light-welterweight.  Nearly 50,000 had gathered for ‘Mano y mano’; Leonard v Duran I, one of the best boxing matches ever!
Montreal is also where Haseley Crawford, still Trinidad & Tobago’s No. 1, and still, only, Olympic Gold medal winner, beat Jamaica’s Don Quarrie, Russia’s Valeriy Borzov, USA’s Harvey Glance and Johnny Jones, Panama’s Guy Abrahams, (East) Germany’s Klaus-Dieter Kurrat and Bulgaria’s Petar Petrove, for that gold.  Crawford’s effort, never to be repeated again, goes to show how hard it can be to be No. 1!
On that night, June 20, 1980, I knew who would be No. 1.  I even had a wager, for a Chinese dinner – that was all that we could afford back then – with world’s No. 1 batsman then, and for some, even now, (Sir) Vivian Richards, our own ‘Smoking Joe.’  He was quite magnanimous after defeat, probably his only!
Leonard lost because Duran brawled better, having been brought up in the barrios, enduring, and beating, twice, opponents like another legend, Estanban de Jesus.  As the saying goes; “Roberto wanted it more!”  ‘Hands of stone’ forced ‘the Sugar-man’ to fight Duran’s fight, a grave mistake for any No. 1.
India also made mistakes in losing its No. 1 Test spot to England.  India took its situation for granted, thus finding that being No. 1 is not easy.  As former Australian captain, Ian Chappell, who knows what it is to be No. 1; kayoing England, 1974/5, and West Indies, 1975/6, said; “India thought that they could simply turn up, play, and just win!”  Another No. 1, Curtly Ambrose, would say; “Nuttin’ wuk suh, Jack!”
I cannot remember England recently being thought of as No. 1 in Test cricket, though its progress is measured by Ashes series.  In 1963, when West Indies beat England 3-1 in that year’s Test series, West Indies were thought to have been No. 1, even though they had lost to Australia two years earlier.
Now, there is no doubt about it.  Andy Flower, Andy Strauss and the English boys have shown that with planning, hard work, dedication, and considerable skills too, that they can justifiably be called No. 1 in Test cricket.  Since England also won the last ICC T-20 competition, they are two for two at being No. 1!
The trouble is to hold on to those crowns.  West Indies lost only one Test series; a contentious 1-0 defeat, New Zealand 1979-80; from 1976 to 1995. That was a tremendously long time to be Test ‘champeen’.  Australia took hold from 1995 until 2009-10, similar kudos to West Indies reign as No. 1.
India, with its internal cricket industry and politics, found out the hard way that is not an easy game to be No. 1!  They looked unprepared, and underprepared, a poor effort for any defending champion!
India was an embarrassment in that recent Test series against England.  I fail to understand how such a huge population cannot find ample replacements.  There ought to be sanctions for looking so bad!
England is sitting pretty now.  You can also rest assured that they will not be sitting back on their laurels, just waiting for something to happen.  They will go out and make things happen, to keep being No. 1!
Next month, West Indies starts its Asian winter in Europe, with two T-20’s v World Champions, England, at Kennington Oval, in London.  Then, they go to Bangladesh, for 2 Tests and 3 ODI’s, then to India, for 2 Tests and 5 ODI’s.  This is a good time for West Indies to start climbing back to, hopefully, No. 1!  Enjoy!

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