Alvin Isaac Kallicharran
Full name: Alvin Isaac Kallicharran
Born: 21 Mar 1949, Paidama, Berbice, Guyana
Batting: Left-hand batsman
Bowling: Right-arm off-break
Teams: Guyana U19 (2in: 1966-1968); Guyana Colts (1in: 1968); Berbice (FC: 1972-1973); Guyana (FC: 1967-1981); Guyana (ListA: 1973-1978); West Indies (Test: 1972-1980); West Indies (ODI: 1973-1981); Rest of World (FC: 1974); Warwickshire (Var: 1971-1990); Queensland (FC: 1977/78); Transvaal (Var: 1981-1984); Orange Free State (1984-1988); All teams
Relations: Dereck Kallicharran (brother), Mahendra Nagamootoo (nephew), Vishal Nagamootoo (nephew);
Club: Port Mourant (Berbice)
School: St Joseph Anglican; Port Mourant Comprehensive High
A small man, Alvin Kallicharran had poise, balance, orthodoxy, a full range of strokes off either foot, and a bat that because of its size relative to him, appeared far too large to a generation of hapless bowlers. He was named Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year in 1975, South African Cricket Annual Cricketer of the Year in 1983 and Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 1983.
Cricket has played a pivotal role in the development of Guyana as a nation long before Independence in May 1966. There are a many outstanding Guyanese cricketers whose contribution to the glorious game will never be forgotten. Today Guyana Times Sport put the spotlight on Alvin Kallicharran. In the first part of this two part series we will have a look at Alvin’s early days and distinguished First Class Career.
Early days
Alvin came from a large family, with four brothers and six sisters. Family members from both parents were avid cricketers. His father played for Berbice county in Flood Cup competition between Indo-Guyanese, older brother Stanley played for the Guyana youth team and younger brother Derek played for Guyana. Two nephews, the Nagamootoo brothers, represented Guyana, with Mahendra playing Test cricket.
With no formal coaching, Alvin began playing on the unpaved streets of Port Mourant, with homemade bats and balls. Without pads, he had to perfect his defense quickly to stay in the game. Not from a wealthy family, he welcomed the financial assistance he received by members of the cricket-loving community in which he grew up, which helped to pay for club dues, travelling, formal cricket gear and even school expenses.
Alvin first appeared in West Indies regional cricket in 1966, as captain of the first Guyana Under-19 team, which played matches in Dominica, Barbados and Guyana. He scored 90’s against the Combined Islands and Trinidad & Tobago. His brother Stanley was in that team.
First class and List A cricket
He made his first class debut for Guyana against the Windwards, on 15 March 1967 in Grenada, in the regional Shell Shield competition, just 6 days short of his eighteenth birthday. His first first-class century, 137 against the Combined Islands at Bourda, came in March 1970, but it was not until March 1972 that he scored his second, 154 for Guyana against New Zealand.
Possibly through Rohan Kanhai, who came from the same village, news of Alvin’s promise as a batsman reached England and Glamorgan tried to recruit him. It was Kanhai’s county Warwickshire, however, that succeeded in recruiting him first. Alvin played for the Warwickshire Second XI in 1971, but moved up to the senior team in 1972, after making his Test debut.
In January 1974 Alvin scored 197 for Guyana against Jamaica at Sabina Park, adding 241 runs with Clive Lloyd for the fifth wicket, in a high-scoring match. This was his highest score ever for Guyana. The following year, he scored 110 for Guyana against Barbados in Bridgetown, adding 297 for the second wicket with Roy Fredericks, who went on to score 250.
In January 1981, Alvin scored 184 for Guyana against Trinidad & Tobago in Georgetown, adding 286 for the seventh wicket with Clive Lloyd. This turned out to be his last century and last season for Guyana, even though his first class career would continue for another eight years.
After being dropped by the West Indies in 1981, Transvaal stepped in with a lucrative winter contract. The first West Indian to compete in South Africa’s Currie Cup, he averaged nearly 60 to finish third in the national list and inspire Transvaal to win the Benson and Hedges Floodlit Cup.
In a tortured 1982 season, when they usually had to sit and suffer, Warwickshire’s followers could at least take comfort from Alvin Kallicharran’s disciplined brilliance.
He was the only batsman on the county circuit to score 2,000 first-class runs, hitting three double-centuries and five other hundreds in the Schweppes Championship. He also played one great innings in limited-overs cricket, his 141 not out against Somerset at Taunton securing a shock NatWest Trophy quarter-final success.
One shot in this innings will be particularly treasured by those who saw it. When the 6ft 8in Joel Garner came round the wicket to bounce one at him, perfectly positioned, 5ft 5in Alvin hooked his towering adversary high over square leg for 6 with stunning power.
Banned by West Indies for playing in South Africa and with the added incentive his 1983 county benefit being just a year away, Alvin had plenty of incentive to score heavily. His first century came at Dartford, followed by a career-best 235 at Worcester, his maiden double-hundred in first-class cricket.
Edgbaston had yet to sample a Kallicharran special, but any voodoo was dispelled with 195 against Surrey, followed by 109 not out in the return against Worcestershire. Finally came the climax at Southampton. Kallicharran, the country’s leading run-maker, versus Malcolm Marshall, the leading wicket-taker – a contest to savour.
Alvin countered Marshall’s extreme pace with unrivalled expertise, his second-innings 131 raising him past 2,000 runs for the first time in his career. Eight centuries in a summer equalled the Warwickshire record held jointly by R. E. S. Wyatt (1937) and Rohan Kanhai (1972).
He played for Orange Free State from 1981 to 1984 and Transvaal from 1984 to 1988 in South African domestic cricket.
While playing against minor county Oxfordshire in the 1984 one day Natwest Trophy he scored 206 and took 6 for 32.
To be continued in tomorrow’s edition of the Guyana Times
