Distorting history

Dear Editor,

I refer to an article that was carried in your daily on August 20, titled ‘Australia overall selection after Ashes review.‘ Mr Jack Clark, Chairman of Cricket Australia, at a news conference in Melbourne outlined some of the plans for the future of Australian cricket after a seven-month full, frank and fearless review of the sport, following Australia’s 3-1 series loss to England last year at home. At that news conference in Melbourne Mr Clark spoke of Australia‘s dominance in world cricket from 1987 to 2007: “Australia dominated World Cricket for an extraordinary period of time from 1987-2007 but that successful period is now over.“

I heard Mr Clark’s statement about Australia’s so-called dominance on BBC Sports News the day before your daily carried it. Rewriting history is becoming fashionable these days, but this is unbelievable. Australia’s dominance begin in 1995 after a Mark Taylor-led team defeated the Richie Richardson-led West Indies team in the Caribbean by 2-1. Between 1987 to 1995 Australia and the West Indies played four Test series: Vivian Richards captained two and Richie Richardson captained two. In 1988-89 Richards led West Indies to victory over Australia in Australia by 3-1; Allan Border was Australia’s Captain on the return visit to the Caribbean. In 1991 Vivian Richards led the West Indies and was again victorious winning by 2-1; Allan Border was the Captain of the Australian team again. In 1992-93 Richie Richardson led West Indies team to victory over Allan Border‘s Australia team by 2-1 in Australia.

Editor, eight years of West Indian dominance is taken away and is given to Australia by Mr Clark.

To give Australia eight years of West Indies glory is going too far and will hurt us badly because we worked hard for that glory. It is to tarnish Sir Vivian’s unbeaten record as captain for West Indies; it is also telling us that Richie Richardson lost two Test series instead of one. That would also mean Allan Border would have won three Test series against West Indies, when in fact he won none.

Yours faithfully,
Raymond Barton