Raphick Jumadeen

Raphick Jumadeen was a left-arm spinner who played for the West Indies during the 1970s. Not a classical slow bowler by any means, Jumadeen depended more on accuracy to create wicket-taking opportunities. As a result, he rarely ever ripped through a batting line-up, even on favorable surfaces which were few and far in Tests. That happened a fair bit in First-class cricket though where ended up with over 300 scalps at a healthy average and strike rate. His miserly methods often preyed on inexperienced batsmen and at times, even the best of the lot. Unfortunately for Jumadeen, the era he played in didn't encourage too many spinners from West Indies, given the country's fetish with tearaway fast bowlers at that time. Therefore, he endured a short stint in Tests. The World Series League also helped that cause, as star players turned to that for fame and money. His debut game was historical, bowling 31 maidens in his 64 overs, conceding at just 1 run-per-over. After his playing days, Jumadeen became a national selector.

Written by Hariprasad Sadanandan