Alvin Kallicharan is born on March 21, 1949. Kalli, as he is popularly known in the cricketing world,. He is considered one of the finest left-handed batsmen in contemporary cricket in all conditions and is a specialist slip fielder. He made a sensational Test debut of 100 not out against New Zealand on his home ground in Georgetown in 1971–72. He has so far scored 3,331 runs in 45 Tests with an average of 48.27. He has also achieved the distinction of scoring centuries against all the first-class cricket-playing countries except for South Africa.
Two against New Zealand (100 not out at Georgetown and 101 at Port of Spain, Trinidad, in 1971-72), two against England (his highest Test score of 158 at Port of Spain and 119 at Bridgetown, Barbados, in 1973-74), two against India (124 at Bangalore in 1974-75 and 103 not out at Port of Spain in 1975-76), three against Australia (101 at Brisbane in 1975-76, 127 at Port of Spain and 126 at Kingston, Jamaica, in 1977-78) and 115 against Pakistan at Karachi in 1974-75.
Alvin Kallicharan is a marketing student turned professional cricketer. Kallicharran is associated with two record-making partnerships. He and Lawrence Rowe put on 249 runs at Bridgetown in 1973-74, the highest second-wicket stand for West Indies against England. These two also scored 198 for the fourth wicket at Brisbane in 1975–76, which is a record for West Indies against Australia.
Alvin Kallicharran took over the West Indies captaincy after the withdrawal of Clive Lloyd, the captain, and five of the Packer ‘pirates’ prior to the third Test against Australia early this year. This second trip to India is a very important one for this short, boyish-looking Hindu, married to a Muslim, because he will have to rebuild the West Indies side from almost unknown faces.
