"The greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions!" So suggested master-craftsman and all-around Italian genius Leonardo da Vinci.
Considering that this artist, mathematician, builder, historian and designer produced the Mona Lisa, which no one, even now, can fully decipher; was "she" his mother, his lover, he himself, etc. Leonardo's thought could also be apropos to West Indies captain Jason Holder and head coach Phil Simmons, who in their politically-correct opinions, told us to expect more than we expected.
More colloquially speaking, "the only person that you cannot fool is yourself," even if some try. Everyone hoped for the best but most expected the worst. Test No 1 at Bellerive Oval in Hobart was quite poor for WI!
Despite Darren Bravo's fighting century, these are decidedly desperate times for WI's senior men's team. Having been seriously embarrassed by Australia's No 2 team; Cricket Australia XI; with six players making First Class debuts, West Indies No 1 team has been palpably pummeled to a paper-like pulp by Australia's No 1 team in the opening Test, losing by an innings and 212 runs.
Reminiscing Australia's Caribbean tour 1978, quite similar but opposite situations occurred, with a quickly scrambled Australian No 2 team being initially battered by WI's No 1 team in two Tests.
Then "you know what" hit the fan, courtesy of Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket (WSC), subsequently replaced by a more even contest too, with WI's No 2 team eventually playing Australia's No 2 team in Tests No 3, 4 and 5 of that series, after we had been dropped from Test No 3 in Guyana.
Putting 1978's Australian tour to the Caribbean into proper context, per clouds of discontent, WSC and cricket authorities worldwide, the tourists had a great excuse. But what is WI's now?
1978 versus Australia was my second Test series, after getting 33 wickets in my first Test series against Pakistan in 1977. Also in that Pakistani series, Joel "Big Bird" Garner had 25 wickets, so neither of us could have been dropped in 1978, which was good enough for us.
But by 1978, Desmond "Dessie" Haynes, Richard Austin and myself had also signed for WSC, with Garner and rest of that included team, for Tests Nos 1 and 2, already under the microscope, having signed for WSC in 1977. Australia, on the other hand, decided that their touring team to WI in 1978 would not include any WSC-signed players at all. Hence, Australia's No 2 team arrived then!
Nine of Australia's 1978 team to the Caribbean made ODI debuts in Antigua & Barbuda for the first of two ODI's, while Test No 1 at Queen's Park Oval, T&T, and Test No 2 at Kensington Oval, Barbados, went completely as expected; WI winning both very convincingly; by an innings and 106 runs and by nine wickets. Australia's No 2 was no match for WI's No 1!
I always remember two events from that 1978 series. Firstly, in those first two Tests, I actually bowled to Robert "Bobby" Simpson, who, adamantly against WSC, was called out of retirement to captain that Australian touring team.
Actually, surreally, for my first ever glimpse of Test cricket, 1965 at Bourda, Georgetown, aged 12, I had seen Simpson and William "Bill" Lawry open batting versus WI; against (Sir) Gary Sobers, (Sir) Wes Hall, Charlie Griffith and Lance Gibbs. It was tough but WI cleaned up to win by 212 runs.
Secondly, the second Test at Barbados, everyone who saw it, including us in WI's dressing room, are still convinced that Jeffrey "Thommo" Thompson's spell on the evening of the first day, is still the fastest, most consistently hostile bowling spell ever witnessed by anyone anywhere, and that assessment includes Michael Holding's spell at the same ground versus England, in 1981. Thommo was flying!
WI closed day one at 71-3, chasing Australia's 250, with Gordon Greenidge, (Sir) Viv Richards and Alvin Kallicharran all dismissed in quick succession by sheer pace and bounce from "Thommo the terrible", while Haynes, dropped twice, somehow survived overnight.
Then, to my consternation, captain Clive Lloyd, a twinkle in his eyes, suggested: "Crofty, pad up for your usual nightwatchman duties!" I bluntly refused, the only time ever that I refused any batting offer, with the outburst; "Skipper, are you crazy? 'G's', 'Smokey' and 'Kalli' could not cope with that terror out there, yet you want me to be nightwatchman? Are you mad?"
Everyone in the dressing room, including Lloyd, laughed loudly. Apparently, he was only pulling my leg. Of course, Lloyd padded up to bat next.
But Simpson in 1978 was also realistic. While grudgingly acknowledging that 1978's WI was nearly at the top of its game; that came in 1979-80 in Australia; at least he identified players in his own team–Graeme Wood, Steve Rixon, Rick Darling, Graeme Yallop and Bruce Yardley–who, in time, would serve Australia well in the future. Simpson was correct on all counts!
Anyway, after absolute capitulation, except for "Young" Bravo and Kraigg Brathwaite's sturdy second innings effort at Hobart, what promises do other WI players provide now? Not many! Enjoy!