| Alvin Kallicharan was one of the redoubtable | | | | His occasional offspin earned him four Test wickets |
| Caribbean cricketers of the 1970s. The Guyanese | | | | as well. One of those wickets was that of New |
| middle-order batsman even had the distinction of | | | | Zealand legend, Richard Hadlee. |
| assuming the captaincy of the West Indies side when | | | | The middle-order batsman played 31 one-day |
| there were defections by senior players - including | | | | internationals for the regional team. In addition, he |
| captain and compatriot Clive Lloyd - to Kerry Packer's | | | | featured in the first two World Cups in 1975 and |
| World Series Cricket. | | | | 1979, both of which the West Indies won. In the |
| Born in Berbice, Guyana on March 21 1949, Alvin | | | | shorter form of the game, Kallicharran scored 826 |
| Kallicharran made his debut for Guyana in the 1966 | | | | runs at an average of 34.41, with six fifties. His best |
| 1967 season, when he was a teenager. Five seasons | | | | effort came in the 1975 World Cup against Australia, |
| later, the 23 year old made his Test debut for the | | | | where he scored 78 to help the Caribbean team to a |
| West Indies against New Zealand on his home ground | | | | comprehensive seven-wicket victory over Australia. |
| in Georgetown. The West Indies batted first and the | | | | Alvin was a well-travelled cricketer who plied his trade |
| Guyanese debutant announced his arrival with an | | | | in the major cricket nations of that era. In addition to |
| unbeaten century in that drawn match. | | | | the West Indies and Guyana, he played First Class |
| The former West Indies captain went on to play 66 | | | | cricket for Queensland (Australia); Orange Free State |
| Tests, in which he scored 4399 runs at a fine | | | | and Transvaal (South Africa); and Warwickshire |
| average of 44.43. Of those 4399 runs, there were | | | | (England). From 505 matches, Alvin scored an |
| twelve centuries and 21 fifties - a remarkable | | | | amazing 32,650 runs at an average of 43.64. In that |
| conversion rate. His best score was 187 against India | | | | tally, the Guyanese middle order batsman had 87 |
| at Mumbai in December 1978. Kallicharran also made | | | | centuries and 160 half centuries. His top First Class |
| scores between 90 and 100 eight times in 109 innings. | | | | score was an unbeaten double century - 243*. |