Greetings readers! I am sure you all are true cricket fans, and most of you know about the history of West Indies Cricket in the 20th century. Well, if you don’t, let me tell you that neither Australia nor England but West Indies was the most dominating side for the majority of the 20th century in World Cricket. West Indies held the highest win to loss ratio of 1.597 till 1989 in the 20th century. So as the title states, we have brought together the best players of one of the most dominating test teams of the 20th century to bring you the best all-time XI of West Indies in Test cricket.
All-time XI of West Indies in Test cricket:
#1 Gordon Greenidge:
Gordon Greenidge was an attacking opener who played for West Indies from 1974 to 1991. He can be described as a batter who didn’t run much but was a combination of solid defence and explosive attacking shots. Greenidge played represented West Indies in 108 Test matches and is one of the only nine players to play more than 100 Tests for the Caribbean side.
Gordon Greenidge has scored 7558 runs at an average of 44.72 in his Test career with 19 centuries and 34 half-centuries. With these stats, he is still the 5th highest runs-scorer for West Indies in Tests. Greenidge has also scored the most runs for WI as an opener. Out of his 7558 Test runs, 7488 came while opening the innings for West Indies. So, he is the first choice for the opening spot in this all-time XI of West Indies in Test cricket.
#2 Desmond Haynes:
Desmond Haynes was Gordon Greenidge’s partner in crime. Their duo was the best opening pair to ever open for West Indies in tests. Gordon Greenidge and Desmond Haynes have added 6482 runs for the West Indies while opening together. These include 16 century stands and 26 half-century stands in 148 innings.
No other West Indies opening pair even remotely comes close to these numbers. Haynes is the second-highest scorer for West Indies as an opener in Test cricket after his partner Greenidge. He had amassed 7472 runs from 201 innings while opening for WI in his Test career. A well-synced opening pair like him and Greenidge deserve to be the openers of the all-time XI of West Indies in Test cricket.
#3 Sir Vivian Richards(c):
One of the five players to earn the title of “Sir” Vivian Richards was probably the best West Indies ever had in the second half of the 20th century. Years have passed since he threatened the best bowlers in the world, but he still holds the record of being West Indies’s third-highest run-scorer of all time in Test cricket.
Vivian Richards accumulated 8540 runs averaging 50.23 from 121 Tests. He hit 24 centuries and 45 centuries in his Test career. Apart from being a great batter, Viv Richards was also a good leader. He still has the best win rate as the captain of the West Indies Cricket Team. Thus he will be a fitting choice to lead and take his favourite number three spot in this all-time XI of West Indies.
#4 Brian Lara:
Often compared to the great Sachin Tendulkar, Brian Lara is still the best of West Indies post-1990s. He played 131 Tests for West Indies in his career from 1990 to 2007. During this time, Lara became the highest run-scorer for West Indies in Test Cricket. He, along with Chanderpaul, was among the only ones to carry forward the legacy of West Indies Cricket in Tests post-1990s.
Lara amassed 11,912 runs in his Test career, averaging 53.17 from 130 matches. He hit 34 centuries and 48 half-centuries in Tests and still holds the record for the highest individual score in Test cricket(400*). Considering he scored the majority of his runs batting at number four, he retains this position in this all-time XI as well.
#5 Shivnarine Chanderpaul:
Shivnarine Chanderpaul has played the most Tests for West Indies and is the only player to play more than 150 Tests among the Caribbeans. He played 164 Tests for West Indies. In these 164 Tests, he became only the second West Indian to score more than 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul is also the second-highest run-scorer for West Indies in Tests. His Test record includes 11,867 runs scored at an average of 51.37 with 30 centuries and 66 half-centuries. An immovable force with a unique stance, Chanderpaul used to grind a lot for West Indies at number 5. And thus, retains this spot in this all-time XI of West Indies in Test cricket.
#6 Garry Sobers:
If you had seen Garry Sobers playing, you would have seen a blend of a pure batsman and an exceptional bowler. Sobers was a flexible all-rounder who could bat anywhere in the batting order and still be among runs. He played 93 tests for West Indies and scored 8032 runs at a towering average of 57.78, making him the 4th highest scorer for WI in Tests.
Apart from being a great batter, Sobers could bowl left-arm fast medium, slow left-arm orthodox, and left-arm wrist spin. With this talent, he took 235 wickets for West Indies to become its 7th highest wicket-taker ever. A perfect all-rounder like him is a great addition to any XI, be it for Test cricket or any other format.
#7 Jeff Dujon(wk):
If we talk about the wicketkeepers of the West Indies, then no one competes with Jeff Dujon. He dismissed 270 batters in Tests between 1982 and 1991, which is the most among the West Indian wicketkeepers of all time.
Apart from his glovework, Jeff Dujon is also the highest-scoring wicketkeeper-batsman for West Indies in Test cricket. Dujon scored 3146 Test runs at an average of 31.46 in 79 matches. No other Caribbean wicketkeeper having played at least 30 tests averages more than 30. So he is the obvious choice to don the gloves for the all-time Test XI of West Indies.
#8 Malcolm Marshall:
Malcolm Marshall was one of the greatest among the many legendary fast bowlers West Indies have produced. Marshall played 81 Tests for West Indies from 1978 to 1992. In this time, he took 376 Test wickets at a bowling average of 20.94
Marshall is still the third-highest wicket-taker for West Indies in Test cricket, and his bowling average of 20.94 is the best of all-time among the players to take 200 wickets in Tests. Apart from his bowling, Marshal also had 10 Test half-centuries and 1810 Test runs in his name. So, that makes him a perfect number seven in this XI.
#9 Lance Gibbs:
Lance Gibbs was the only spinner to ever shine as bright as a sun among the fast-bowling stars of West Indies. Gibbs played 79 Tests for West Indies between 1958 and 1976. He was a Right-arm off-break bowler with pinpoint accuracy and deceptive turn.
In his 79 Tests, Lance Gibbs took 309 wickets for West Indies at a bowling average of 29.09. He is still the 4th highest wicket-taker for West Indies in Test cricket and the only Caribbean spinner to take 300 Test wickets. So, there could be no one better to take the lead spinner role in this XI than Lance Gibbs.
#10 Curtly Ambrose:
Curtly Ambrose is the highest-rated West Indian bowler of all time in the ICC Test Rankings. Ambrose’s bowling stats are close to Malcolm Marshall’s, one of the best West Indian bowlers of all time in Test cricket. However, he leads Marshal as the second-highest wicket-taker of all-time for West Indies in Tests.
Curtly Ambrose is only the second Caribbean bowler to take more than 400 Test wickets. He dismissed 405 batters from 98 Tests in his career at a bowling average of 20.99. Interestingly this is the 3rd best bowling average among bowlers to take more than 200 Test wickets. These figures of his earn him his place in West Indies’s all-time Xi in Test cricket.
#11 Courtney Walsh:
There cannot be a better player to complete this all-time Xi of West Indies than the highest wicket-taker for West Indies in Test Cricket. Courtney Walsh sent his pacing deliveries down the pitch for the longest in the history of West Indies Cricket.
Walsh played 132 Tests bowling 30,019 deliveries for West Indies. In these 132 Tests, he became the only Caribbean player to take 500 wickets for West Indies. Walsh took 519 wickets at an average of 24.44 in his Test career. A towering height of 6′ 6″ and deadly pace make him a dangerous bowler. His addition to this all-time XI of West Indies forms arguably the deadliest pace attack in the history of Test cricket.
