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[ MUSIC ]

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>> HUH!

[ CHANTING ]

HUH!

>> LOOK AT THE EYES,

THE CONCENTRATION,

TRYING TO UNSETTLE

THE NEW BATSMAN.

YES, THIS IS FAST BOWLING.

THEY REALLY ARE GONNA

GET IT IN AT TEA.

>> OH, IT'S A GOOD BOUNCER.

>> THAT IS A QUICK BOWL.

>> WHEN HE WANTS TO TURN IT ON,

HE'S QUICK.

>> OH, YES.

THAT IS A FINE, AGGRESSIVE,

NASTY DELIVERY.

>> ALL OF A SUDDEN,

THESE WEST INDIANS HAVE STARTED

TO TURN IT ON.

>> SHARP, INTO THE BODY.

>> YOU WATCH THIS.

>> I RECKON THIS ONE WILL BE

STRAIGHT AT THE JAW, AS WELL.

OH, AND, AGAIN,

IT WHIZZES PAST HIS NOSE.

THIS IS PACE LIKE FIRE.

>> SHOOTING UP, CUTTING BACK,

SNAKES IN A LONG WAY.

>> OOH, THAT IS

A MAGNIFICENT BOWL.

>> THE WEST INDIES RECKON

THEY'RE ON A ROLL HERE.

>> KEEP HIS EYE ON THE BALL.

YOU'VE GOTTA KEEP LOOKING

AT IT-- LOOK AT IT.

LOOK AT IT.

>> OH, HE'S HIT HIM!

HE'S HIT HIM.

>> THAT'S HURT-- THAT'S HURT.

>> I'VE OFTEN WONDERED WHY

HE DOESN'T WEAR

THE PROPER PROTECTION.

THAT MAY HAVE BROKEN

HIS JAW.

IT'S BEGINNING TO SWELL,

AS WE SPEAK.

>> THAT'S NOT RIGHT.

I REALLY DON'T CARE

IF YOU'RE WEST INDIAN

OR AN ENGLISHMAN.

THAT CANNOT BE RIGHT IN CRICKET.

>> ALL THE NEGATIVE THINGS

WHICH WERE SAID,

A LOT OF FOLKS FELT THAT

WE WERE SPOILING THE GAME.

WE WERE AIMING TO KILL.

>> NO.

>> AGGRESSION MEETS AGGRESSION,

AND THAT'S HOW I LOOK AT LIFE.

YOU FIGHT-- I'M GONNA FIGHT.

WE HAD A MISSION,

AND A MISSION THAT

WE BELIEVED IN OURSELVES,

AND WE BELIEVED THAT WE WERE

JUST AS GOOD AS ANYONE--

EQUAL, FOR THAT MATTER.

>> ALL IS FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR.

>> Viv Richards: YOU KNOW,

IT WAS IMPORTANT

FOR ME TO TRY AND INSTILL

SOME OF THIS BELIEF.

IT WASN'T GONNA TAKE

ORDINARY INDIVIDUALS

TO ACCOMPLISH THAT.

THESE WERE A SPECIAL BUNCH,

WHO FELT THE SAME WAY,

HAD THE SAME SPECIAL

CONSCIOUSNESS.

IT WAS A MAGNIFICENT

COMBINATION.

>> Gordon Greenidge: YOU'RE

SPEAKING ABOUT

A GROUP OF BLACK GUYS

BEING SUCCESSFUL.

FOR A PERIOD OF TIME,

PEOPLE COULDN'T IMAGINE

IT WAS POSSIBLE.

>> Colin Croft: THE TEAMS

BEFORE WERE STILL

SUBSERVIENT TO THE ENGLISH.

THEY STILL LISTENED TO WHAT

THE ENGLISH HAD TO SAY

ABOUT THEIR OWN GAME.

WE WERE CALLED TERRORISTS,

AND THAT'S A FACT.

THAT'S NOT A BOAST.

>> THE WEST INDIANS ARE A VERY,

VERY FORMIDABLE BOWLING TEAM.

>> IT WAS REPRESENTING

A REGION, REPRESENTING

SOMETHING MORE SIGNIFICANT

THAN JUST CRICKET.

IT WAS A MATTER OF FEELING

OF WORTH.

>> Desmond Haynes: YOU KNOW,

WE WERE PLAYING TO SHOW

OUR PEOPLE THAT WE

ARE GONNA MAKE THEM PROUD.

>> Deryck Murray: WE WERE

SETTING STANDARDS

THAT FUTURE WEST INDIAN

GENERATIONS WOULD HAVE TO

ASPIRE TO.

>> THAT SORT OF ENVIRONMENT,

THAT WILL EITHER MAKE YOU

OR BREAK YOU, AND YOU GOTTA

MAKE A CHOICE WHICH ONE

YOU WANT.

>> Andy Roberts: AND WE ALWAYS

THOUGHT THAT THE DAY WILL COME

WHEN WE WILL BEAT THE REST

OF THE WORLD.

>> HE'S HIT IT MANY...

[ MUSIC ]

>> IN THE WEST INDIES,

THE GREATEST CRICKETER IS FOUND.

WE, THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE,

ON A WHOLE, HAVE SOME KIND

OF KNOWLEDGE OF HOW TO HOLD

A BAT OR HOW TO BOWL A BALL.

CRICKET IS SOMETHING THAT

IS A DAILY SITUATION.

WE PLAY CRICKET

FOR THE VALUE OF CRICKET.

HEY!

[SPEAKING WEST INDIAN DIALECT]

[WHIMPERING IN DISTANCE]

[SPEAKING WEST INDIAN DIALECT]

CLAMP HIM, AGAIN!

GOOD!

YOU WANT ME TO DEAL WITH IT,

MAN-- HEY!

[SPEAKING WEST INDIAN DIALECT]

THAT'S THE KIND OF SPIRIT

THAT'S IN THE JAMAICAN PEOPLE

FOR CRICKET.

>> PEOPLE PICTURE THE SUNLIT

ISLANDS OF THE CARIBBEAN

TO BE A PLACE OF PARADISE,

BUT THINGS WERE NOT ALWAYS

SO PEACEFUL.

OUR HISTORY HAS BEEN A LONG

AND PAINFUL STRUGGLE

AGAINST FORCES THAT DENIED

AND OPPRESSED US, BABYLON...

AND ONLY THROUGH CRICKET

COULD WE WIN OUR FREEDOM.

[ MUSIC ]

>> THE '60s AND '70s

PARTICULARLY WAS A REAL

REVOLUTIONARY TIME

THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN

THAT HIGHLIGHTED THE TENOR

AND THE TEMPER OF THE TIMES.

BLACK PEOPLE WERE STILL NOT

REGARDED AS EQUALS.

THIS WHOLE DISPARITY BETWEEN

HAVE AND HAVE-NOT,

WHITE AS HAVE,

AND BLACK AS HAVE-NOT,

STILL EXISTED.

IN THE CARIBBEAN,

AS IN AMERICA,

BLACK POWER FERVOR

WAS VERY MUCH ON THE RISE

AND VERY MUCH PART OF

THE UPHEAVALS OF THE TIMES,

THROUGH IMBIBING

BLACK WEST INDIANS

A SENSE NOW OF YOUR OWN POWER,

OF YOUR OWN SELF-WORTH

AND PRIDE.

I TAUGHT HISTORY--

YOUNG TEACHER INVOLVED IN

THE WHOLE REVOLUTIONARY COSMIC.

I HAD ESTABLISHED

A VERY CLOSE RELATIONSHIP

WITH VIV.

YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THOSE

YOUNGSTERS, AT THE TIME,

WERE VERY INTERESTED IN

THE BLACK POWER PHILOSOPHIES

THAT WERE BEING TALKED ABOUT,

AND VIV WOULD'VE BEEN

NO EXCEPTION.

>> THAT WAS THE TIME WHERE,

I THINK, THE HEAT WAS ON

FOR YOU TO START GETTING UP

AND STANDING UP BECAUSE OF SOME

OF THE THINGS THAT YOU FELT

WERE HAPPENING WORLDWIDE.

THERE WAS A JOURNEY FOR US

AS BLACK PEOPLE.

AFRICA HAPPENS TO BE

THE STARTING POINT.

>> THE CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

WERE BROUGHT HERE

TO COLONIALISM,

TO BE CHEATED OF ORIGIN,

CULTURE, WILL, AND BRAVERY,

TRANSMITTED BY THE CHAIN,

THE LYNCH, AND THE LASH,

CONDITIONED AND TRAINED

TO BE A NIGGER.

>> YOU ARE REMNANTS

OF YOUR ANCESTORS, FOR SURE.

IT RUNS IN THE BLOOD.

IT IS A HISTORY OF A PERIOD

THAT ONE SHOULD NEVER FORGET.

>> CRICKET ITSELF WAS USED

AS ONE OF THE INSTRUMENTS

OF COLONIZING AND WAS VERY MUCH

SEEN AS IMPARTING ENGLISH

ARISTOCRATIC VALUES,

TO DISCIPLINE THE NIGGER...

AND NOW, HERE IT IS, WE HAVE

EX-SLAVES TRYING TO EXCEL

AT SOMETHING WHICH

THE ENGLISH MASTERS

HAVE BROUGHT ON.

>> WE HAVE AN AVENUE

TO ACCOMPLISH, AND THAT AVENUE

IS THE GOD-GIVEN TALENT

OF CRICKET.

>> IT'S ABOUT SHOWING HOW EQUAL

YOU ARE AND PROVE THAT

YOU ARE A LITTLE BIT MORE

USEFUL THAN THEY SEE YOU.

>> BUT THAT'S THE KIND

OF FIGHT,

THAT'S THE KIND OF STRUGGLE,

AND THEY KNOW THEY HAVE

SOMETHING TO DO WITH

RIGHTING THAT WRONG.

>> IT TOOK ENGLISH SOCIETY

SOME TIME TO RECOGNIZE

THAT AFRICAN PEOPLE FELT

THAT THEY WERE STRIPPED

OF SOMETHING BY COLONIALISM

AND SLAVERY, AND THIS LATEST

GENERATION WANT TO RESTORE

A DIGNITY WHAT WAS TAKEN.

[ MUSIC ]

>> THIS IS THE AGE OF THE MAJOR

CARIBBEAN TERRITORIES

ARE CERTAINLY INDEPENDENT.

JAMAICA IN '62, TRINIDAD,

GUYANA, AND BARBADOS

IN '66--

INDEPENDENCE WAS SEEN

AS THE HIGH POINT OF A CIVIL

RIGHTS STRUGGLE THAT HAD

GONE ON FOR 100 YEARS.

>> WE HAD BEEN BORN

IN COLONIAL TIMES.

WE GREW UP

IN INDEPENDENT TIMES.

WE STARTED THINKING

LIKE WEST INDIANS AND NOT LIKE

ENGLISHMEN WHO WERE LIVING

IN THE WEST INDIES.

WE ALL HAD AMBITIONS.

WE WANTED TO BE SOMETHING

TO PROVE THAT WE'D BE MORE

FROM BEING A SLAVE.

WE WANTED TO SHOW OUR EMERGENCE

AS A NATION.

>> THE EXISTING SUPERSTRUCTURE

HAS HANDED OUT CRUMBS.

WE DON'T WANT ANY CRUMBS.

WE WANT THE WHOLE LOAF NOW.

>> THIS TEAM IS REALLY,

IN FACT, A MOUTHPIECE

FOR THESE TRANSFORMATIONS,

REFLECTING THE CONFIDENCE OF

THIS INDEPENDENCE GENERATION.

THERE'S NO GOING BACK.

CRICKET HAS TO LEAD THE WAY,

AND WE HAVE TO GO THROUGH

THE FUTURE, AS FAST AS WE CAN.

>> TO SEE SOMEONE OF YOUR COLOR

REPRESENTING YOU AT THAT LEVEL

GAVE US, AS FOLKS, UPLIFTMENT.

>> THOSE GUYS WERE HEROES,

PEOPLE THAT EPITOMIZED

THE STRUGGLE THAT ALSO WAS

A PART OF THE STRUGGLE

OF THE CARIBBEAN.

>> IT STARTED TO TAKE

THAT SIDE OF CONSCIOUSNESS,

AND I COULD IDENTIFY,

MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE,

THE PAIN WHICH OUR BROTHERS

AND SISTERS

WOULD'VE BEEN THROUGH.

>> THEIR FIGHT CERTAINLY WAS

OUR FIGHT, TOO.

THROUGH THE CRICKET,

WE WOULD BE ABLE TO CARRY

A MESSAGE TO THE WHITE WORLD

TO BLOCK THIS RACISM

BY DEFEATING IT ON THE FIELD

OF PLAY, BY TRULY MAKING

THE CRICKET FIELD

A LEVEL PLAYING FIELD.

[ MUSIC ]

>> THE WEST INDIES IS MADE UP

OF A HOST

OF DIFFERENT ISLANDS.

ALL HAVE DIFFERENT GOVERNMENTS.

ALL HAVE DIFFERENT ATTITUDES

TOWARD DIFFERENT THINGS,

AND THOSE ISLANDS ONLY COME

TOGETHER UNDER THE BANNER

OF THE WEST INDIES

CRICKET TEAM.

IT'S THE ONLY THING

WE DO TOGETHER.

>> WE ARE VERY DIFFERENT,

AND IF YOU TRAVEL

THE CARIBBEAN,

THE ACCENT'S DIFFERENT.

THE FOOD IS DIFFERENT.

YOU EXPERIENCE A VARIETY

OF THINGS IN DIFFERENT ISLANDS.

>> SO, OUR PLAY, OUR CRICKET,

SPOKE FOR US.

>> CRICKET WAS IT.

>> ANYBODY WHO GREW UP

IN THE WEST INDIES WANTED

TO PLAY CRICKET

FOR THE WEST INDIES.

>> YOU WOULD WALK MILES

AND MILES.

YOU WOULD FIND YOURSELF

AT THE BEACH, AND SOME MATCH

WAS GOING ON,

AND YOU WOULD JOIN IN.

GUYS WOULD BE BATTING

FROM THE TIME THEY COME HOME

FROM SCHOOL

UNTIL THE LIGHT FADED.

>> AS SOON AS YOU GET OUT,

YOU'RE BACK IN THE WATER,

AGAIN, OR YOU WOULD BE

LOOKING AROUND,

TRYING TO HELP A FISHING BOAT.

>> WHEN YOU DID CATCH SOMETHING

THAT WAS WORTHWHILE EATING,

YOU JUST HAD TO LIGHT A FIRE.

YOU ATE IT.

>> IT WAS ALL FUN-LOVING STUFF

AND, WOW, HAVE A GREAT TIME.

>> FRIENDSHIP AND BONDING

AND BEING, MORE OR LESS, FREE.

>> EVERY TIME YOU BOWLED,

YOU WERE LANCE GIBBS

OR WES HALL OR SOMEBODY.

YOU KNOW, EVERY TIME YOU BATTED,

YOU WERE SEYMOUR NURSE.

>> SIR FRANK WORRELL,

SIR GARY SOBERS,

SIR EVERTON WEEKES,

AND ALL THE NUMEROUS NAMES--

THESE GUYS GAVE YOU HOPE.

PIONEERS, FOR SURE.

THEY WERE THE INSPIRATION.

WHAT STILL PERSISTED,

UP UNTIL 1960, WAS THAT

A WHITE MAN WOULD ALWAYS BE

THE CAPTAIN

OF THE WEST INDIES' TEAM.

IT WAS EXTREMELY MEANINGFUL

TO CARIBBEAN PEOPLE TO SEE

A BLACK MAN NOW AS CAPTAIN.

IT THRILLED THEIR HEART.

>> EXCELLENT CRICKETERS

WILL ALWAYS BE IN THE ANNALS

OF THE WORLD, BUT THEY WERE NOT

WINNING COMBINATIONS.

>> THERE WERE SPARKS

AND FLASHES OF GENIUS,

FOLLOWED BY DROUGHTS

OF PERFORMANCES.

>> THERE WAS A PERIOD WHERE

THERE WERE 21 TEST MATCHES.

NONE OF THEM

WERE WEST INDIAN VICTORIES.

>> PEOPLE WOULD LOOK AT US

AS HAPPY GO LUCKY

BUNCH OF PEOPLE

WHO JUST LIKE TO, UH,

WELL-WELL, THE NAME

THEY HAD, AT THAT TIME,

WAS CALYPSO CRICKETERS.

>> YOU MAY SAY THAT IT HAS

SOME GOOD CONNOTATION

BECAUSE CALYPSO IS GREAT MUSIC.

BUT AT THE SAME TIME,

IT HAD SOME PRETTY BAD

CONNOTATIONS IN THAT IT MEANT

THAT, OKAY, YOU WERE ALL FUN,

FROLIC, BUT NO REAL SUBSTANCE,

ENTERTAINING THE CROWD,

AND THEN LOSING.

>> WHEN THEY LEFT AUSTRALIA

IN 1961, THEY WERE GIVEN

A MOTORCADE THAT INCLUDED

A MILLION PEOPLE,

THROUGH MELBOURNE,

FOR LOSING

IN GENTLEMANLY FASHION.

>> WE WERE ENTERTAINERS,

BUT WE WERE NOT WINNERS.

AND YOU ALWAYS FEEL,

AT ANY TIME, WE COULD COLLAPSE,

AND WE HAD NO BACKBONE.

>> IT WAS FELT IN THE CARIBBEAN

PERHAPS THE FEELING WAS

WE'LL JUST KEEP THEM

AS THE WAY THEY ARE

SO THEY CAN JUST PLAY CRICKET

BECAUSE MAYBE THEY CAN'T

DO ANYTHING ELSE.

WE ALL CAME FROM

VERY DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS

AND TO MOLD IT INTO A UNIT

WAS NEVER GONNA BE EASY.

>> YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMEONE

WHO CAN KEEP ALL THOSE PEOPLE

FROM DIFFERENT ISLANDS

TOGETHER, AND BOND THEM,

AND GET THEM POINTING

IN THE SAME DIRECTION.

>> Clive Lloyd: IN THE

CARIBBEAN, WE HAVE A SAYING

THAT TEN YOUNGSTERS THROWN

TOGETHER IS NOT A TEAM--

IT'S A GANG, AND THERE

IS A FUNDAMENTAL DIFFERENCE.

THIS LATEST GENERATION

NEEDED A GREAT CAPTAIN.

>> MY WORD, THE WEST INDIES,

LOOK AT THEM NOW.

[ MUSIC ]

>> CLIVE LLOYD WAS A VERY

QUIET MAN, VERY SEDATE,

VERY COOL, VERY CALM,

A REAL THINKER.

THE PLAYERS LOOKED UP TO HIM

AND RESPECTED HIM

AS THEIR LEADER,

AND HE WAS A LEADER.

HE WASN'T JUST A CAPTAIN.

HE WAS A LEADER.

>> CLIVE WAS SOMEONE

THAT YOU COULD APPROACH.

YOU THOUGHT TO YOURSELF,

"THIS IS SOMEONE

"I WANT TO PLAY FOR.

"THIS IS SOMEBODY I WANT TO

"GO OUT ON THE FIELD WITH."

>> HE WAS VERY CONSCIOUS

OF HIS OWN FAMILY BACKGROUND.

LOSING HIS FATHER

AT AN EARLY AGE,

HE WAS THE BREADWINNER

OF THE FAMILY.

>> CLIVE WAS A FATHER.

HE JUST LED THE WAY.

HE WAS JUST THE MAN.

>> TEN YEARS OLDER,

LEADING SOME YOUNG BOYS,

HE MENTORED THEM.

HE REALLY LED THEM,

ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

>> HE INSTILLED THAT THOUGHT

PROCESS THAT, "LOOK,

"WE ARE STRONG PEOPLE.

"WE CAME FROM

"A STRONG PEOPLE.

"WE CAME FROM KINGS AND QUEENS,

"AND WE WILL GO BACK TO THAT,

"WHICH IS STRONG."

WE ARE NOT HERE TO MAKE FUN.

WE ARE HERE TO WIN.

>> I WANTED TO HAVE

A DIFFERENT TEAM

WITH DIFFERENT THINKING.

SHED ALL THE STUFF

THAT WE HAD BEFORE.

WE ARE NOW A TEAM,

A WEST INDIAN TEAM

WORKING TOGETHER

SO THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE

COULD UNDERSTAND THAT,

HEY, WE CAN WORK

FOR A BETTER LIFE

AND A BETTER FUTURE--

ONE PEOPLE, ONE NATION,

ONE DESTINY.

>> NINETEEN SEVENTY-FIVE

AND WE'RE AT THE START OF

OUR JOURNEY,

FULL OF YOUTHFUL AMBITION

AND EAGER TO UPROOT

THE PREJUDICES OF BABYLON.

STILL, WE HAD EVERYTHING

TO PROVE AT THE TOP LEVEL

OF THE GAME, TEST CRICKET,

A FIVE-DAY CONTEST

BATTLIN' AGAINST AN OPPONENT.

VERY SOON, WE'D BE FACING

THE TOUGHEST TEST OF ALL--

TRAVELING TO AUSTRALIA

TO FACE THE CHAMPIONS

ON THEIR HOME SOIL.

>> SHOT ONE, TAKE FOUR.

>> ONE, TWO!

TURN!

[ MUSIC ]

>> CUT!

[ MUSIC ]

>> ALREADY, THERE'S

AN AIR OF EXPECTANCY.

THEIR DASHING CAPTAIN,

CLIVE LLOYD, IS QUIETLY SPOKEN

BUT DETERMINED.

AND ARE YOU VERY CONFIDENT

OF WINNING?

>> WE WANT TO WIN.

THERE'S NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT.

UM, IT HAS BEEN BILLED AS

A SORT OF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP,

UH, SO I'M-I'M HOPING

THAT WE CAN GIVE OUR BEST.

>> AT THE MOMENT,

THE AUSTRALIAN SIDE, TO MY MIND,

IS THE BEST IN THE--

IN THE WORLD.

AND I THINK THAT FAST BOWLERS,

ALL THROUGH TEST HISTORY,

HAVE BEEN THE DIFFERENCE

BETWEEN A-A GOOD SIDE

AND A GREAT SIDE.

THOMSON AND LILLEE

ARE GREAT BOWLERS.

[ MUSIC ]

>> JEFF THOMSON

AND DENNIS LILLEE

ARE THE MOST TALKED ABOUT

CRICKETERS IN THE WORLD.

THE UNDERLYING POINT

IS CONTROVERSY--

CONTROVERSY ABOUT BOUNCERS

OR BUMPERS,

DELIBERATE INTIMIDATION,

AIMING TO HIT THE BATSMAN,

AND BOWLING BOUNCERS

AT TAIL-ENDERS.

>> SPLENDID BOWLING

PERFORMANCE, THEN,

FROM JEFF THOMSON.

HE BOWLED REALLY FAST TODAY,

AS INDEED HE HAS DONE

THROUGHOUT THIS MATCH,

AND A GREAT PSYCHOLOGICAL BOOST

FOR HIM AND FOR THE WHOLE

OF THE AUSTRALIAN SIDE.

>> LILLEE STRUCK, AGAIN.

ANOTHER GREAT PERFORMANCE

THERE BY LILLEE.

>> THAT CRICKET TEAM

DECIMATED EVERY OTHER

CRICKET TEAM AROUND THE WORLD.

THEY BEAT EVERYBODY,

AT HOME AND ABROAD.

THEY NEARLY KILLED ENGLAND.

>> THOMSON TO LLOYD.

AND HIT BADLY THERE,

THAT TIME.

>> I REMEMBER THE ENGLISH

LITERALLY RUNNING FOR COVER

AND BEGGING FOR MERCY.

>> OH!

>> AUSTRALIA HAD OUTSTANDING

FAST BOWLERS.

FAST BOWLERS, AND WHEN I SAY

"FAST BOWLERS," I'M TALKING

ABOUT PEOPLE

WHO REALLY BOWL FAST.

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE

WHO JUST BOWL

80-81 MILES AN HOUR.

TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE

WHO BOWL 99 MILES AN HOUR,

BECAUSE THAT EXTRA DIMENSION

IS WHETHER YOU CAN GET HURT

OR NOT.

>> OH!

>> AND THAT'S HIT HIM

ON THE HEAD, A BAD ONE.

THE BATSMAN IS DOWN.

>> YOU COULD GET KILLED.

IT HAS HAPPENED.

IT'S LIKE A BULLET.

IF THERE'S SOMETHING

IN FRONT OF IT,

YOU COULD BE DEAD.

>> NOW, ONCE YOU HAVE

THE CAPABILITY OF HURTING

SOMEONE WITH THAT BALL,

THAT PERSON IS NOT THINKING

ABOUT HOW TO PLAY THE BALL.

HE'S THINKING ABOUT

SELF-PRESERVATION.

>> I'M TRYING TO SCARE HIM,

TRYING TO HURT HIM PERHAPS

ON THE RIBS OR THE LEG

OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT

SO THAT HE AT LEAST KNOWS

YOU'RE AROUND.

>> DENNIS LILLEE WOULD STAND

IN FRONT OF YOU,

AND HE STANDS UP,

THIS ENORMOUS FIGURE,

LOOK YOU IN THE EYE.

>> HE WANT THAT BALL TO CAUSE ME

A GREAT DEAL OF HARM.

HE WANT TO INFLICT PAIN.

HE WANT TO INJURE ME.

>> THE ONE INDIVIDUAL

THAT YOU FOUND JUST

VERY DIFFICULT TO PLAY

WOULD BE JEFF THOMSON.

HE WAS RUTHLESS,

IN MY OPINION.

>> THOMMO WAS A DANGER.

HE WAS A DANGER MAN.

>> THOMSON'S SPORT AWAY

FROM THE TEST MATCH ARENA

HELPS KEEP HIM FIT

FOR HURLING DOWN

HIS THUNDERBOLT.

IT TAKES A LOT OF RUNNING,

WITH A ZEST AKIN TO

COLLECTING TEST SCALPS.

>> HA-HA!

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT?

>> HE'S A BEAUTY, MATE.

>> AH.

>> AND HE WAS A MEAN MAN.

>> MY WORD, IT DOES LOOK

A PICTURE TODAY.

IT'S ALWAYS A GREAT MOMENT.

A NERVE-WRACKING ONE

FOR SOME PLAYERS.

AN EXCITING ONE FOR OTHERS.

>> IT IS THE TEST OF ALL TESTS.

THAT'S WHY THEY CALL IT

THE TEST-- TEST MATCHES.

TO BE OUT IN THE FIELD

FOR FIVE DAYS, YOU HAVE TO

HAVE THE ENDURANCE.

THE RACE IS NOT FOR THE SWIFT

BUT WHO CAN ENDURE TO THE END.

THAT'S THE TEST.

THAT'S A TEST OF EVERY PLAYER.

>> A LOT OF YOUNGER PEOPLE

WHO WERE IN THAT WEST INDIES

TEAM, THAT WAS EITHER

THEIR FIRST TOUR

OR THEIR SECOND TOUR.

>> WE WERE GREEN, WE WERE YOUNG,

WE WERE INEXPERIENCED.

THRUST INTO INTERNATIONAL

CRICKET.

THROWN INTO THE DEEP END.

WE WENT OUT AND ALL

YOU COULD HEAR SCREAMING

IN YOUR EARS WAS,

"LILLEE-LILLEE!

"KILL-KILL-KILL!

"LILLEE-LILLEE!

"KILL-KILL-KILL!"

>> YOU FELT THAT THERE CAN'T BE

A LOT OF LOVE GOING ON HERE.

>> IT IS IN YOUR FACE.

IT WASN'T EASY WALKING OUT

TO FACE THOSE GUYS

WITH THE CROWD

ALMOST ON TOP OF YOU.

>> OUT THERE, IT WAS A WAR.

BELIEVE ME-- IT WAS A WAR,

AND THEY DIDN'T LET UP.

THEY THREW THE KITCHEN SINK.

THEY THREW EVERYTHING AT YOU.

THEY LET YOU KNOW, WELL,

WE'RE IN CHARGE,

AND YOU'RE NOT COMING ON

OUR PATCH TO DO WELL.

>> IT WAS AS IF FIRED OUT

OF A RIFLE.

>> LILLEE AND THOMSON,

THEY BOUNCED ANY AND EVERY ONE.

PEOPLE WERE BOBBING,

AND WEAVING, AND DUCKING,

AND FALLING ON THEIR BACKSIDES,

TRYING TO GET AWAY.

>> A SERIOUS INDUCTION

INTO FAST BOWL,

AND THAT WAS TERRIFYING.

I WAS ABSOLUTELY TERRIFIED.

>> I REMEMBER LILLEE BOWLING

A BOUNCE AT LANCE GIBBS,

AND LANCE, AT THE END

OF THE DAY, WENT UP TO HIM

AND SAID, "LISTEN, I'VE GOT

"A WIFE AND KIDS.

"BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU'RE DOING."

>> IT'S BOWLED WITH FIRE

AND DIRECTION.

>> OH!

>> THAT JUST HIT HIM

IN THE FACE, I THINK.

>> A SERIOUS BOWL.

I THINK IT GOT HIM ON THE JAW.

>> COME ON!

>> THAT FIRED STRAIGHT UP.

>> INJURIES, BROKEN FINGERS,

BROKEN SHOULDERS,

CRACKS ON THE HEAD,

AND IT WAS HUMILIATING.

IT WAS LIKE A MILITARY ASSAULT

ON WEST INDIES CRICKET.

>> BOWLED IN.

[ INDISTINCT ]

THAT ALMOST A MATCH.

[ INDISTINCT ]

>> THAT WAS A LOVELY PIECE OF

CRICKET BY THE AUSTRALIANS.

>> RICHARDS.

>> OH!

[ MUSIC ]

>> IS IT IN?

HE'S OUT!

JEFF THOMSON AT HIS BEST.

THAT'S OUT.

PLAY BOWLED.

ROBERTS IS OUT.

>> THAT WAS A NASTY SERIES

AND LOTS OF CONFRONTATIONS,

ON AND OFF THE FIELD.

>> THEY KNEW... THEY KNEW.

THEY WERE SEASONED CAMPAIGNERS,

AND THEY KNEW

WHEN TO TURN THE SCREWS.

>> SOME OF THE AUSSIES

HAS THIS WAY THAT,

IF THEY COULD NOT GET YOU OUT,

THEY WOULD RATHER ABUSE YOU OUT.

>> THINGS WERE SAID,

AND THE COLOR OF YOUR SKIN

CAME INTO IT.

WHEN YOU'RE CONSTANTLY BEING

BOMBARDED WITH COMMENTS

AND BEHAVIOR, WELL,

I ENCOUNTERED SOME IGNORANCE

BEFORE, BUT THIS-THIS WAS

VERY DIFFERENT,

VERY, VERY DIFFERENT.

>> THE CROWD, PEOPLE IN

THE CROWD, DID SAY THINGS--

THINGS THAT SHOULDN'T

HAVE BEEN SAID, THINGS THAT

WEREN'T POLITICALLY CORRECT,

WHERE PEOPLE WOULD TELL YOU

ABOUT YOUR HERITAGE,

OR YOUR BACKGROUND,

OR GO BACK TO THE TREES

THAT YOU CAME FROM.

>> "YOU BLACK BASTARD,"

AND I GET RATHER ANNOYED

AT ANYONE WHO'S GONNA CALL ME

A "BLACK BASTARD,"

BECAUSE I'M NOT.

>> YOU STOP AND LOOK AND SEE

WHERE THE COMMENT CAME FROM,

THEN THEY WOULD LAUGH

AND SO BECAUSE TO THEM

IT'S A BIG JOKE.

IT-IT DEGRADED ME AND

DOWNGRADED ME A GREAT DEAL.

>> I WAS NAIVE GOING

TO AUSTRALIA,

AND I THOUGHT TEST CRICKET

WAS A GENTLEMAN'S GAME.

I LOST IT.

I JUST COULD NOT BELIEVE

THAT THIS WAS TAKING PLACE.

>> MICHAEL JUST WENT

AND SAT DOWN

AND COULD NOT BELIEVE,

AND TEARS WAS COMING

OUT OF HIS EYES,

SAYING HE DON'T KNOW

HOW GUYS COULD PLAY CRICKET

LIKE THIS SO HARD.

>> AND, YES, THERE WAS A LOT

OF BICKERING.

PEOPLE STARTED TO BLAME

EACH OTHER.

BATSMEN BLAMING BOWLERS.

THE BOWLERS BLAMING BATSMEN.

IT WAS NOT A VERY HAPPY

DRESSING ROOM,

AND IT WAS NOT A HAPPY TIME.

>> THERE IT IS.

AUSTRALIA WINNING

BY SEVEN WICKETS.

>> WE GOT A JABBING.

THEY BEAT US FIVE-ONE.

>> AND THE WEST INDIES

WAS ANNIHILATED.

THAT BURNED EVERYBODY

IN THE WEST INDIES

REALLY BADLY.

>> THE FEELINGS--

THERE WERE TEARS COME--

I SAW PEOPLE CRY

WHEN WEST INDIES LOSE.

WHEN WEST INDIES--

PEOPLE TEARS COME DOWN.

>> VERY DISAPPOINTED, MAN.

VERY-VERY DISAPPOINTED.

>> WE-WE'RE WONDERING NOW,

IF WE CAN COME BACK UP.

WHEN?

>> PEOPLE DIDN'T FEEL

THE WEST INDIES PLAYERS

HAD THE FIGHT IN THEM.

THIS CALYPSO CRICKET STIGMA

STUCK WITH US.

WE WEREN'T WILLING TO GO THERE

AND FIGHT TO THE END

AND THAT WE JUST GIVE UP.

>> WHEN THAT TEAM RETURNED

TO THE CARIBBEAN, IT WAS LIKE

SOLDIERS COMING HOME FROM A WAR.

THEY REALIZED THAT EVERYTHING

WAS AT STAKE.

AND CLIVE LLOYD KNEW

THAT WEST INDIAN CRICKET

WAS AT THE CROSSROADS.

>> A LOT OF SOUL SEARCHING

WENT ON, DURING THAT TIME.

CLIVE, AS YOUNG CAPTAIN,

WAS UNDER PRESSURE.

HE BECAME VERY DEPRESSED.

HE EVEN QUESTIONED HIS OWN

RIGHT TO BE THE CAPTAIN.

>> THEY SAY, AFTER HUMILIATION,

IS RICHES, POWER, MIGHT,

AND BLESSING ETERNALLY...

FOREVER.

GO ON.

>> FIGHT, FIGHT!

IT'S A-IT'S A GAME.

YOU HAVE TO PUT YOUR HEART

INTO PLAY AND KEEP IT UP.

DON'T DRAG DOWN.

FIGHT!

>> YES!

[ MUSIC ]

>> I CAN REMEMBER CLIVE SAID,

"NEVER AGAIN.

"IF WE CAN FIND

"SOME FAST BOWLERS,

"WHO ARE JUST AS QUICK

"AS THEY ARE OR EVER QUICKER,

"LET US SEE HOW WELL

"THEY HANDLE IT."

>> CLIVE LLOYD TOOK

A VERY BLUNT DECISION.

WE CAN ALSO PLAY YOUR GAME.

WE CAN GENERATE A BOWLING

MACHINERY THAT WILL OBLITERATE,

THAT CAN RUB YOU

INTO THE GROUND

AND DECIMATE.

[ MUSIC ]

>> SO, HE NEEDED

VERY FAST BOWLERS,

AND HE WENT THROUGH

THE CARIBBEAN,

LOOKING FOR PLAYERS

TO FIT INTO HIS MACHINE.

HE HAD ALREADY PICKED

MICHAEL HOLDING AND SAW

THE TALENT AND THE BRILLIANCE

OF THIS YOUNG MAN.

>> AND PEOPLE QUESTIONED

CLIVE LLOYD KNOWLEDGE.

SAID, "CLIVE LLOYD, OH,

"YOU'RE BRINGING

"MICHAEL HOLDING

"AND [ INDISTINCT ],"

BUT CLIVE SAID,

"OH, WATCH THAT.

BASICALLY, YOU TELL,

"I LIKE HIM POTENTIAL."

THE CAPTAIN WERE SO ASTUTE,

SUCH CRICKET BRAIN,

COME ONCE IN A LIFETIME.

OF COURSE, YOU HAD THREE--

WAYNE DANIEL, HOLDING,

AND ROBERTS.

FAST, FURIOUS, AGGRESSIVE,

AND REALLY COULD DISMISS YOU.

>> IT WAS VERY SKILLFULLY DONE.

IT WAS A SUPERB CONSTRUCTION.

>> THIS IS CRICKET

LOVELY CRICKET-- YES

CRICKET LOVELY CRICKET

AND ME SAY PEOPLE

ARE YOU READY

BLOW

OH, LORD.

>> THERE'S ALWAYS BEEN

A DREAM OF BLACK FAST BOWLER.

YOUNG, STRAPPING BUCKS

RELEASING A THUNDERBOLT

AT YOU-- IT CAN BECOME

SOMETHING OF A FIRING LINE.

>> WHEN YOU LOOK AT

A MICHAEL HOLDING

RUNNING INTO BOWL,

WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING AT

IS AN AFRICAN INDIVIDUAL

WITH AFRICAN RHYTHM.

>> YEAH, THAT'S REALLY

ONE IN A MILLION,

BORN TO BOWL A CRICKET BALL.

>> MICHAEL, IN THAT STRIDE,

WOULD PUT FEAR

INTO ANY PARTICULAR BATSMAN.

>> I WAS JUST A YOUNG MAN,

RUNNING IN, BOWLING FAST,

ATTRACTING ATTENTION.

LOOK OUT FOR THIS GUY.

HE'S COMING.

>> ANDY ROBERTS WAS ONE OF

THE HARD-NOSED INDIVIDUALS

ON THE TEAM-- A GUY THAT

YOU WOULD TAKE INTO BATTLE

ANYWHERE, YOU KNOW.

>> I AM A WARRIOR.

I TAKE FAST BOWLING MORE

SERIOUSLY THAN ANYTHING ELSE.

>> I WOULD SAY ANDY

WAS MISUNDERSTOOD BECAUSE

HE HARDLY EVER SMILED,

AND PEOPLE THOUGHT HE WAS JUST

A GRUMPY, MISERABLE GUY.

NEVER SHOWED EMOTION,

SO NOBODY KNOW WHAT TO EXPECT.

>> THAT WAS ME.

>> ANDY TAUGHT ME A LOT

ABOUT FAST BOWLING.

TAUGHT ME A LOT ABOUT CRICKET.

>> THE GUY COULD

SET YOU UP EASY.

HE KNEW HOW TO CATCH A FISH.

>> ANDY USED TO HAVE

TWO DIFFERENT BOUNCERS.

THE FIRST ONE,

THE BATSMAN COULD SOMETIMES

HOOK IT AWAY

AND GET A BOUNDARY.

AND THE SECOND ONE,

WITH THE SAME ACTION,

SAME EFFORT, WOULD BE

A GREAT DEAL QUICKER

AND, OF COURSE, THE BATSMAN

WOULD FEEL SOME PAIN.

>> HE COULD HURT YOU,

SERIOUSLY HURT YOU.

>> AND HE WAS THE ORIGINAL

LEADER OF THAT PACE ATTACK.

>> NOT LONG AFTER AUSTRALIA,

WE RETURNED HOME TO PLAY INDIA.

WE WERE EAGER TO BANISH

ALL HUMILIATION AND TO SHOW

WE HAD THE CHARACTER TO WIN.

FOR CLIVE, IT WAS

THE OPPORTUNITY TO START

PLOTTING THE NEWLY FORMED

PACE ATTACK.

THE PRESSURE WAS ON

AND WAS TO REACH BOILING POINT

IN KINGSTON.

>> THE WHOLE CITY HAD COME

TO SEE.

WERE PACKED LIKE A SARDINE.

>> THERE WAS THE FEELING

THAT NOW WE WERE UNLEASHING

THIS FIRING POWER.

>> LET'S PLAY THE TYPE

OF CRICKET THAT THEY

DO NOT ASSOCIATE US WITH.

>> OUR GUYS WANTED TO SHOW

THAT THEY LEARNED SOMETHING

FROM AUSTRALIA.

>> HOW WOULD THE INDIANS

WITHSTAND OUR HEAD-ON

ONSLAUGHT?

>> MY HEART STARTED BEATING-

BEATING HARD.

AND YOU SEE HIM RUNNING...

AND THEN THROW THE BALL, RIGHT?

>> WE WERE MAKING INDIA

REALLY BUCKLE UNDER

OUR PRESSURE HERE, YOU KNOW?

THE INDIAN TEAM WAS LIKE

THE WALKING WOUNDED.

>> ALL OF THEM-- ARM BROKE.

EVERYBODY HEAD GET LEAKED.

YOU UNDERSTAND?

THE INDIANS THOUGHT

WE WERE OVERDOING

THE FAST BOWLING.

SURRENDERED THE TEST MATCH

TO THE WEST INDIES ALMOST AS

A-A SHOW OF PROTEST.

>> IT TAKES A LOT OF GUTS

TO FACE FAST BOWLING.

MOST PEOPLE, WHO DON'T EXPECT

TO GET HIT, COMPLAIN.

EVERY TIME I GO UP TO BAT,

I EXPECT TO GET MY SHARE.

>> AUSTRALIA '75-'76,

YOU DIDN'T COMPLAIN.

IF YOU CAN'T TAKE THE HEAT,

AND IF YOU CAN'T TAKE

THE PACE, GET OUT.

>> I BELIEVE THAT,

UNFORTUNATELY, THE INDIANS

WERE THERE TO RECEIVE

THE BRUNT OF THE REVISED

STRATEGY AND THE DESPERATION

TO RESTORE PRIDE.

WHAT YOU SAW THEN WAS A TEAM

THAT HAD ITS MIND MADE UP.

DO OR DIE.

ASK NO QUARTER AND GIVE NONE.

THAT THEORY WAS REINFORCED

IN CLIVE'S MIND BECAUSE

OF THE RESULTS THAT WE GOT,

AND I THINK THEN PEOPLE

REALIZED, "OH, OKAY.

"IT CAN WORK.

"IT HAS WORKED."

>> BEATING INDIA WAS THE FIRST

SIGN WE HAD THE FIREPOWER

TO WIN-- IT WAS A SUCCESS,

BUT IT WAS STILL EARLY DAYS

FOR THE TEAM.

SOON AFTER, WE HAD TO FACE

OUR OLDEST ENEMY

IN THE FIERCEST GRUDGE MATCH

OF ALL.

IT WAS 1976, AND WE BOARDED

THE PLANE TO ENGLAND.

COULD WE BEAT

OUR FORMER MASTERS

AT THE GAME THEY CREATED?

>> THIS DRIVE AND AMBITION

WAS ALWAYS TOWARDS ENGLAND

SPECIFICALLY, SEEING CRICKET

AS THE VEHICLE THROUGH

WHICH THEY WERE EXPRESSING

REBELLION AGAINST

THIS BRITISH COLONIAL

RISE IN POWER.

>> WE WERE PLAYING AGAINST

OUR OLD MASTERS AND, THEREFORE,

WE HAD TO UP OUR GAME

TO BE ABLE TO BEAT THEM.

>> WE WANTED TO SHOW

ENGLISHMEN-- YOU BROUGHT

THE GAME TO US, AND KNOW

THAT WE ARE BETTER THAN YOU.

>> THE ENGLISH, AS YOU KNOW,

DO ADORE TEST MATCHING.

ENGLAND WOULD RATHER LOSE

A BATTLESHIP THAN TO LOSE

A TEST MATCH.

WELL, HEARING THAT,

YOU KNOW HOW SERIOUS IT IS.

>> DEFEATING ENGLAND WAS MORE

SATISFYING TO ME

THAN ANYBODY ELSE

BECAUSE I BELIEVED

THAT WE STRUGGLED MORE

IN ENGLAND THAN ANYWHERE ELSE

IN THE WORLD.

>> AS USUAL, IN THOSE TIMES,

MY FAMILY HAD MOVED TO ENGLAND

IN THE HOPE OF A BETTER LIFE.

>> A PATHETIC SIGHT--

ALREADY, THEIR COMING HAS

CAUSED A NATIONAL CONTROVERSY.

WHAT WILL THEY FIND

IN THE LAND THEY REGARD

AS AN EL DORADO?

>> AT 14, HAVING TO LEAVE

THE CARIBBEAN

WAS VERY DIFFICULT.

ARRIVING IN ENGLAND,

THRUST INTO AN ENVIRONMENT

THAT YOU KNOW NOTHING ABOUT,

BEING CONFRONTED WITH

A VARIETY OF THINGS.

>> WELL, OF COURSE,

THERE ARE FAR TOO MANY

IMMIGRANTS IN THIS COUNTRY.

>> WE DO NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT

HOUSES, JOBS, AND SCHOOLS

FOR OUR OWN PEOPLE,

LET ALONE IMMIGRANTS.

>> AND UNLESS SOMETHING IS DONE

ABOUT THIS QUICK,

THAT PREJUDICE IS GONNA BE

SHEER, BLOODY HATRED.

>> THERE WAS A VACANCY

FOR A FLAT,

AND ON THE STAIRS

THEY WERE SAYING,

"ALL APPLICANTS ACCEPTED.

"NO IRISH OR BLACKS."

>> DURING THE EARLY '70s,

I DIDN'T HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING

OF WHAT RACISM WAS ALL ABOUT.

HAD NO EXPERIENCE, WHATSOEVER.

I WAS CALLED A "WOG."

I SAID,

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"

>> WHEN GUYS GOT ANGRY,

THE THINGS THAT YOU WOULD HEAR,

"YOU BLACK THIS,

"YOU BLACK THAT."

>> YOU KNOW AT TIMES, YOU FELT,

WELL, YOU KNOW, I THINK

I WOULD LIKE TO BE BACK

IN THE CARIBBEAN

RATHER THAN BE HERE.

MY ANGER CAME OUT

IN THE WAY I PLAYED.

I FELT THAT TO FORCEFULLY

GO AT WHAT I WAS DOING,

TO ATTACK, PERHAPS WAS A WAY OF

LETTING OUT THAT ANGER.

BUT IT WOULDN'T BE RIGHT

DOING IT ON ANOTHER HUMAN BEING,

ALTHOUGH YOU FELT LIKE IT,

AT TIMES.

BUT I'M GONNA SURE TAKE IT OUT

ON FIVE AND A HALF OUNCES,

SO YOU JUST TAKE IT OUT

ON THE BALL.

>> EVERY LITTLE BIT OF POWER

YOU CAN IMAGINE GOING IN

THAT STRENGTH.

>> MY BAT SORT OF BEING

MY SWORD, AT THAT TIME,

AND IT'S PEOPLE WHO

YOU WANTED TO PUT IT TO.

>> EVERYONE WANTED TO GIVE

THE WEST INDIAN PEOPLE

LIVING IN ENGLAND SOMETHING

TO HOLD ONTO, PEOPLE WHO WERE

LOOKING UP TO YOU, WHO WERE

WILLING YOU ON FOR SUPPORT.

>> IF THE WEST INDIES LOSE,

THEY ARE NOW AFRAID TO GO

TO WORK, BECAUSE THEY KNOW

THAT THEIR WORKPLACE

WILL SHOUT ABUSE, AND THEY

CAN'T LIVE IT DOWN.

>> ALL THEY HAD TO BOAST

ABOUT WAS THE SUCCESS

OF THE WEST INDIES TEAM.

>> IT WAS TOUGH BEYOND

THE SPORT, WHERE THERE WAS

A WHOLE LOT OF THINGS

NEEDING DEFENDING, RATHER

THAN THE CRICKET BALL ITSELF.

>> PEOPLE ARE BUILDING

THESE WEST INDIANS UP.

I'M NOT REALLY QUITE SURE

THAT THEY'RE AS GOOD AS

EVERYONE THINKS THEY ARE.

>> IF THEY'RE DOWN,

THEY GROVEL, AND I INTEND,

WITH THE HELP OF CLOSEY

AND A FEW OTHERS,

TO MAKE THEM GROVEL.

>> "GROVEL."

>> THEY GROVEL.

>> "GROVEL."

>> TO MAKE THEM GROVEL.

>> THAT WASN'T A CLEVER THING

TO SAY.

>> THE TIMING WAS VERY,

VERY WRONG, ESPECIALLY GIVEN

THE SITUATION IN SOUTH AFRICA

WITH APARTHEID.

>> HERE WAS THIS GUY, YOU KNOW,

APARTHEID STILL GOING STRONG,

AND HE'S GONNA MAKE

THESE BLACK GUYS GROVEL.

>> THE APPETITE

WAS THERE IMMEDIATELY.

CLIVE LLOYD SAID, "GUYS,

"WE DON'T NEED TO SAY MUCH.

"OUR MAN ON THE TELEVISION

"HAS JUST SAID IT

"ALL FOR US.

"WE KNOW WHAT WE GOTTA DO."

WE TOOK THAT SERIOUSLY.

VERY, VERY SERIOUS, WE TOOK IT.

>> I'VE NOT SEEN OUR GUYS

SO FOCUSED.

THAT COMMENT ALONE

WAS SUFFICIENT TO SET

THE TONE FOR THE WHOLE SERIES.

>> THE BOWLERS,

THEY REALLY TURN ON THE HEAT.

HE MADE THE OTHERS SUFFER

FOR WHAT HE SAID.

>> STONE HARD, AND IN TYPICAL

CLOSEY STYLE,

HE HASN'T ERUPTED.

OH, MY WORD, BRIAN CLOSE

DID WELL TO AVOID QUITE

A NASTY ACCIDENT THERE.

THEY'VE REALLY FIRED IN

EXTREMELY QUICKLY.

ONLY AT THE LAST POSSIBLE

MINUTE DID HE MANAGE TO GET

THAT HEAD OUT OF THE WAY.

THAT HURT HIM.

THAT'S SOMEWHERE AROUND

ABOUT THE MARK WHERE EARLIER

HE LET ONE BOUNCE OFF HIM.

THAT REALLY MUST'VE STUNG HIM.

CLOSE TRYING TO TAKE

THIS PACE ATTACK,

BUT EXTREMELY DIFFICULT.

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.

HE'S REALLY OVERDONE

THE SHORT PITCHES.

BRIAN CLOSE IS GONNA BE

A MESS OF BRUISES WHEN HE GETS

BACK INTO THE HAVEN

OF THE PAVILION.

>> A NEW ROW HAS ERUPTED

OVER DANGEROUS BOWLING.

A FORMER CHAIRMAN

OF THE CRICKET SOCIETY

WARNS THAT UNLESS RULES

ARE TIGHTENED,

TEN CRICKETERS WILL DIE

AND FORTY MORE WILL SUFFER

BRAIN INJURY THROUGH BEING HIT

BY A BALL THIS SUMMER.

>> THE WORLD, MORE OR LESS,

PORTRAY THE WEST INDIES TEAM

AS BRUTAL, BRINGING THE GAME

INTO DISREPUTE.

BUT THE ADRENALINE

THAT'S GONNA BE PUMPING,

THE TENSION THAT WOULD'VE

MOUNTED FROM THAT

ILL-FATED COMMENT,

YOU'RE GONNA RELEASE

THAT BALL AT A SERIOUS PACE.

>> THERE WERE UMPIRES THAT

IN THE LAWS OF THE GAME

WERE ALLOWED TO ACT

TO PROTECT PEOPLE.

YOU DON'T WANT TO HURT SOMEONE.

INEVITABLY, A BATSMAN

WILL GET HURT,

AND YOU'LL REGRET THAT.

I ALWAYS FEEL

WHEN I HIT A BATSMAN.

THE SYMPATHY IS IN HERE.

YOU MAY NOT SEE IT,

AND I CAN'T SHOW

THE BATSMAN THAT.

IT IS JUST THAT I HAVE

A JOB TO DO.

>> WE ARE NOT LIMITED TO THESE

HAPPY GO LUCKY CRICKETERS

THAT ARE ONLY HERE

TO ENTERTAIN.

WE'RE GONNA ENTERTAIN

BY THIS HIGH SKILL.

AND WHATEVER IT TAKES

TO WIN WITHIN THE RULES

OF THE GAME,

WE'RE GONNA DO IT TO WIN.

>> OH, THAT'S A FINE BALL.

HOLDING STRIKES, AGAIN.

WE WERE MADE TO FEEL AT HOME,

AWAY FROM HOME.

THE CROWD SUPPORTED US

BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE PLAYED.

>> WHAT A MAGNIFICENT CATCH

THAT WAS.

>> PEOPLE TURNED UP

IN THEIR DROVES,

AND ONE SECTION OF THE GROUND

WAS JUST ALL WEST INDIANS

AND HAVING A BALL.

[ MUSIC ]

>> AS GOOD A SHOT

AS YOU WILL EVER SEE.

>> EVERYONE SAID IT WAS

THE HOTTEST SUMMER IN ENGLAND

FOR DOWN THESE YEARS.

WELL, I THINK THE HEAT

WAS FELT BY THE ENGLISH,

NOT BY THE WEST INDIANS.

>> THAT'S REALLY GOOD BOWLING

FROM ANDY ROBERTS.

>> THE SPECTATORS

COULD HARDLY HAVE HAD

BETTER ENTERTAINMENT.

>> THE CROWD, MORE SO THAN

ANYONE ELSE, TOOK A TURN

AT TONY FOR WHAT HE SAID.

THEY REMINDED HIM,

AND THEY KEPT ON REPEATING IT,

SO I THINK HE GOT THE MESSAGE.

>> WHENEVER HE CAME INTO BAT,

HE WOULD HAVE IT.

IF THEY WERE TIRED,

GUYS WOULD FIND THE STRENGTH

JUST TO MAKE SURE.

AND IT WASN'T GETTING HIM

OUT CAUGHT IN THE SLIPS.

IT WAS LIKE JUST KNOCKING

HIS BOWLS OVER.

[ MUSIC ]

>> BANG.

WOW, THOSE WERE SOME

SPECIAL MOMENTS.

>> A VERY DISAPPOINTED,

DISENCHANTED TONY GREIG THERE.

>> YOU CAN FORGIVE,

BUT YOU NEVER, EVER FORGET.

[ MUSIC ]

>> MICHAEL HOLDING AND MYSELF

HAD GREAT SUMMERS IN '76.

VIV RICHARDS HAD

A GREAT SUMMER IN '76.

SO, IT WAS BAT

VERSUS BALL IN '76.

>> EVERY TEST MATCH

THAT VIV PLAYED IN,

HE LOOKED INVINCIBLE.

>> A TERRIFIC SHOT,

THIS REALLY MASTER BATSMAN.

>> THE MASTER BLASTER

HAS ARRIVED.

>> THERE WAS SO MUCH TALK

ABOUT INTIMIDATOR BOWLING.

WELL, WE HAD A BATSMAN THAT

DIDN'T MIND IF YOU BOWLED

SIX BOUNCERS AT HIM.

>> HE WOULD NOT

HAVE BEEN SCARED.

HE CAME AND STOOD HIS OWN,

YOU KNOW?

TAKE THAT IN YOUR ASS, MAN.

BATMAN.

YOU HAVE A BAT IN YOUR HAND.

DEFEND YOURSELF,

THAT SORT OF ATTITUDE.

>> SOME SAID I HAD

A LITTLE SWAGGER.

IT'S MY SIGN OF SAYING,

"I'M SO CONFIDENT HERE,"

YOU KNOW?

WITH SOME CHEWING GUM

IN MY MOUTH, I BITE MYSELF

EVERY TIME.

>> WHAT A SHOT!

IT'S SERIOUS BOWLING,

THIS FELLA.

>> THE BATTER GETS THE FASTEST

OF BOWLERS AND TOTALLY TOOK

EVERYONE APART.

>> I COULD KNOCK 'EM BACK,

AS WELL.

YOU BETTER GET OUT

OF THE WAY.

>> THE BOWLER AFRAID OF

VIVIAN RICHARD

INSTEAD OF VIVIAN RICHARD

AFRAID OF THE BOWLER.

>> IF HE WASN'T

CONFRONTATIONAL,

I FELT THAT WE WERE A KITTEN.

AND IF HE WASN'T IN MY FACE,

YOU WOULDN'T SEE THE BEST

OF VIVIAN RICHARDS.

[ MUSIC ]

>> song: VIV IS THE NAME

CRICKET IS THE GAME

BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW

HE COULD PLAY CRICKET SO

BUT HIS BAT AND BALL

AND FEELING

CATCHING HIS BREATH TAKEN

SOMETIMES I JUST WONDER

IF HE'S THE NEXT SOBERS

IN THE MAKING

THAT MAN RICHARDS

COULD REALLY BAT

IT'S SOMETHING TO SEE HIM

AND THE ATTACK

PLUNDERING BOWLERS

AGAIN AND AGAIN

IT'S REMARKABLE HOW HE DOES

DICTATE THE GAME

NO BOWLER HOLDS A TERROR

FOR VIVIAN RICHARDS

NOT THOMSON OR LILLEE

NOT [ INDISTINCT ]

MMM-MMM

A PERFECT COORDINATION

OF BODY AND MIND

THAT BROTHER

HE'S REALLY DYNAMITE

I TELL YOU

JUST ASK HIM

[ INDISTINCT ]

FAST OR SLOWLY

YOU'RE GOING

BACK TO THE BOWLING

VIVIAN RICHARDS,

A GREAT MAN, WONDERFUL.

[ MUSIC ]

>> WE'VE COME A LONG WAY

IN THE SPACE OF ONE YEAR,

FROM THE LOWS OF AUSTRALIA

TO VICTORY AGAINST

OUR COLONIAL MASTERS.

UNDER CLIVE LLOYD,

THIS YOUTHFUL TEAM

WERE BECOMING MATURE MEN.

IT WAS A SURPRISE TO OTHERS

AND PERHAPS EVEN OURSELVES.

NOW, THE BIG QUESTION IS

WHETHER WE COULD CONTINUE

OUR SUCCESS AND BEAT THE OTHER

TEST NATIONS OF THE WORLD.

THAT QUESTION

WOULD HAVE TO WAIT.

THERE WAS A FIGHT

AGAINST BABYLON

ON OUR VERY OWN DOORSTEP--

A FIGHT FOR EQUAL RIGHTS

AND REWARDS

AS TRUE PROFESSIONALS

OF THE GAME.

>> FOR THE SUCCESS WHICH WE HAD

THEN, THERE SHOULD'VE BEEN

MORE BENEFITS

COMING TO THAT TEAM--

THE POWERS OF THAT TEAM

SHOULD BE USED

AS A NEGOTIATING TOOL.

>> THERE WERE ISSUES IN GETTING

TO THE SAME LEVEL OF PAYMENT

AS THE SAME PLAYERS

PLAYING FOR ENGLAND

AND AUSTRALIA

AGAINST THE WEST INDIES.

>> WHAT SORT OF MONEY

DO THEY GET PAID,

THE WEST INDIAN TEAM?

>> WELL, I DON'T KNOW, UH,

HOW MUCH EXACTLY

THEY'RE GETTING,

BUT CERTAINLY IT WOULDN'T BE

ANYTHING IN COMPARISON

TO THE AMOUNT OF MONEY

THAT COMES THROUGH THE GATE.

>> ALMOST ALL OF THE CRICKET

BOARDS WERE HEADED

BY CAUCASIANS, WHITES,

AND THAT MIGHT'VE BEEN

PERCEIVED AS TRYING TO KEEP

THE BLACK MAN DOWN,

IF YOU WILL.

I DON'T THINK IT HAS RACE

TO DO WITH IT AT ALL.

>> POWER IS A NUMBING THING.

IT'S LIKE A DRUG.

AS PLAYERS, WE WERE VERY UPSET

THAT THE WEST INDIES CRICKET

BOARD HAS SHORT SOLD US.

>> AFTER SPORT,

YOU HAVE TO LIVE.

WHAT THEY WERE PAYING

TO PLAY CRICKET

COULD NOT MAKE ME LIVE.

>> WE WERE EXPLOITED

IN SUCH A DEGREE

THAT WE WERE A LAUGHING STOCK.

WHO DO YOU WANT?

SOME PEOPLE WHO CHEATS

AND STEAL?

>> BUT THEN, SUDDENLY,

THE POSSIBILITY

PRESENTED ITSELF

TO CHALLENGE THE ESTABLISHMENT.

IT WAS CALLED

WORLD SERIES CRICKET.

>> A REVOLUTIONARY

NEW DEVELOPMENT

HAS COME ONTO THE SCENE,

ORGANIZED NOT BY

THE TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES

BUT BY AN INDEPENDENT

AUSTRALIAN BUSINESSMAN,

KERRY PACKER.

THE RESULT HAS BEEN

OFFICIAL APOPLEXY.

>> I FAIL TO SEE HOW

THIS BUSINESS-TYPE PIRACY

IS WELCOME TO OUR CRICKET.

>> THEY ARE THE LOWEST PAID

TEAM SPORT PRACTICALLY

IN THE WORLD,

AND THEY'RE ENTITLED

TO THE REWARD

THAT THEIR SKILLS DEMAND.

>> SO, HERE'S A MAN

LIKE KERRY PACKER,

COMING AND SAYING,

"LOOK, GUYS.

"WE WANNA PAY YOU

"WHAT YOU'RE WORTH."

KERRY DECIDED HE'S GONNA GET

THE BEST WEST INDIAN CRICKETERS,

THE BEST AUSTRALIAN CRICKETERS,

AND THE BEST OF THE REST OF

THE WORLD TO PLAY A THREE-WAY

TOURNAMENT IN AUSTRALIA.

THE WIN MONEY WAS $30,000.

>> IT WAS SO FAR SUPERIOR

TO WHAT WE WERE ACCUSTOMED TO.

IT FELT LIKE V.I.P.

AND I SAID, "WELL, FOR THIS

"SORT OF MONEY, I CAN

"THINK ABOUT PLAYING CRICKET.

"SHOW ME WHERE TO SIGN."

>> THE PROVERBIAL WALK AWAY

HAS HIT THE FAN.

>> THE WEST INDIES CRICKET

BOARD SAW US AS REBEL PLAYERS.

>> WE WERE ALL BANNED

FROM PLAYING FOR

THE WEST INDIES.

WE HAD NO CRICKET

TO COME BACK TO.

>> WE FELT LIKE OUTCASTS.

WE WERE NOW ON OUR OWN.

WE EVEN THOUGHT, AT ONE POINT,

THAT WOULD MEAN NEVER,

EVER PLAY FOR THE WEST INDIES,

AGAIN, AND WE JUST DID NOT

FEEL GOOD ABOUT THAT.

WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED

TO US?

WHAT WOULD BECOME US?

>> AFTER ALL THE PUBLICITY,

ALL THE UPROAR, THE HAGGLING,

THE START OF THE PACKER SERIES

WAS A FIZZER.

[ MUSIC ]

>> THE PLAYERS TOOK THE FIELD

IN FRONT OF

ONLY 500 SPECTATORS,

LEAVING THE STADIUM

ALL BUT DESERTED.

>> KERRY REALIZED THAT

THE SUCCESS OF WORLD SERIES

DEPENDED HEAVILY ON

THE SUCCESS OF WEST INDIES.

THERE WAS ONE GAME

THAT WE PLAYED,

AND WE GOT BALLED OUT CHEAPLY.

HE CAME INTO THE CHANGING ROOM

AND PUT A TONGUE LASHING ON US.

>> GENTLEMEN,

YOU ARE WASTING MY TIME.

I COULD GET RID OF YOU

IMMEDIATELY.

KWANTA ZERO-ZERO-ONE

LEAVES HERE EVERY AFTERNOON,

AND SOME OF YOU COULD BE ON IT.

UNLESS YOU PICK UP YOUR GAME,

WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO

SEND SOME OF YOU HOME.

>> KERRY PACKER DEMANDED

PROFESSIONALISM.

HE DEMANDED A PROFESSIONAL

OUTLOOK ON NOT JUST

YOUR CRICKET, BUT ON LIFE,

AND WE LET HIM DOWN.

>> AND EVERYTHING CHANGED

FROM THAT DAY.

>> HERE, WE HAVE A BUNCH OF

GUYS NOW WHO REALIZE

THAT THERE'S NO TOMORROW.

THERE'S ONLY TODAY.

AND NOBODY WANTED TO GIVE UP.

>> WE THEN BONDED TOGETHER

BECAUSE THAT'S ALL WE HAD.

WE HAD EACH OTHER.

THAT FAMILY FEELING,

THAT ULTIMATE ONE FOR ALL,

ALL FOR ONE PERVADED.

[ MUSIC ]

>> KERRY PACKER ASSIGNED

DENNIS WAIGHT

TO THE WEST INDIES TEAM

AS OUR PHYSICAL THERAPIST

TRAINER, AND HE WENT

TO CLIVE LLOYD

AND SAID, "SKIPPER,

"I DO NOT THINK THAT THIS TEAM

"IS FIT ENOUGH."

AND THAT IS WHEN

WE START TO TRAIN.

[ MUSIC ]

>> DENNIS WAS A FIT,

STRONG MAN.

HE WOULD RUN TO THE ROOM

IN THE HOTEL,

WHILE WE TOOK THE BUS.

>> HE PUSHED US TO THE LIMIT.

I MEAN MADNESS.

WE WERE FIT, AT ALL TIMES.

IF WE WEREN'T FIT,

WE WERE GLAD TO GET FIT.

>> QUICK SINGLE,

HAVING TO HURRY.

AND HE'S IN THE STOPS!

HE'S GONE!

[ INDISTINCT ]

>> THIS TEAM BECAME THE FITTEST

TEST TEAM THE WORLD HAD SEEN

COMING AGAINST A TRADITION

OF POT-BELLIED,

UNFIT CRICKETERS.

THE FITNESS LED TO SUPERB

DISPLAYS OF CATCHES,

INCREDIBLE ENDURANCE.

IT WAS A SPECTACLE.

>> OH, IT'S HIT HIM.

OH!

NO COMMENT NEEDED.

>> IT WAS HIGHLY INTENSE

CRICKET, HIGHLY-HIGHLY.

IT WAS THE HARDEST CRICKET

I'VE EVER PLAYED.

>> EVERY TEAM HAD AT LEAST

FIVE GENUINE FAST BOWLERS,

EVERY TEAM.

EVERY DAY YOU WAKE UP,

YOU KNOW THAT THE CRICKET

IS GOING TO BE HARDER

THAN THE DAY BEFORE.

>> THAT WHOLE TOURNAMENT ITSELF

HAVE TO CHANGE

YOUR WHOLE PSYCHE.

GETTING FITTER.

WINNER TAKES ALL.

BEING IN THAT ZONE TO BE

AS MEAN AS ANYTHING ELSE.

>> AND A SUPERB SHOT

BY RICHARDS.

HIT IT MIGHTILY HARD.

>> THERE WERE A LOT OF THINGS

INTRODUCED.

COLORED CLOTHING--

THE WEST INDIES WERE IN PINK.

THE PRESS HAD A FIELD DAY

WHEN THEY SAW OUR UNIFORMS.

YOU KNOW, "PRETTY IN PINK,"

AND THEY WENT SO FAR AS SAYING,

"THE POUFTERS IN PINK."

SO, WE HAD TO SHOW THEM

THAT WE WERE NOT THAT

WAY DISPOSED.

>> SHOT!

>> FROM THEN TO THE END

OF WORLD SERIES CRICKET,

WE DID NOT LOSE A GAME.

>> AND HERE COMES THE STAMPEDE.

>> AND THE AUSTRALIANS

HAVE ALWAYS SUGGESTED

THAT KERRY PACKER OUGHT NOT

TO HAVE COME IN TO MAKE

THAT SPEECH TO THE WEST INDIES.

>> EVEN THOUGH YOU WERE PLAYING

AS WELL AS YOU THINK YOU ARE

AND WINNING AS MUCH AS YOU ARE,

THERE WAS STILL SOMETHING

VERY MUCH MISSING.

>> THE WEST INDIES CROWD GOES

ABSOLUTELY MAD...

GOES ABSOLUTELY MAD.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS

THAT I FIND WITH WEST INDIES

SUPPORTERS IS THAT

THEY'RE LOYAL,

LOVE TO SEE WEST INDIES WIN.

THEY LOVE TO SEE GOOD CRICKET.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS

THAT THEY DO NOT LIKE

IS TO SEE ADMINISTRATORS

LIE TO THEM.

>> THE SUPPORTERS WANTED

TO KNOW WHY WE WERE

STILL BANNED-- THEY WANTED

THEIR BEST PLAYERS BACK.

OUR CONTINUED FIGHT AGAINST

THE BOARD WAS THE SAME FIGHT

ALL PEOPLE FACED AGAINST

ALL POLITICIANS.

DESPITE INDEPENDENCE,

INEPT LEADERS STILL ROBBED US

OF WEALTH AND BENEFITS,

DIVIDING THE ISLANDS

FOR THEIR OWN END.

IN CLIVE'S TEAM,

THE PEOPLE SAW A MODEL

FOR COOPERATION AND UNITY.

OUR SYMPATHIES WERE SHARED,

AND WE UNITED AS ONE.

>> WE WERE THE HEROES

OF THE WEST INDIAN PUBLIC

BECAUSE WE WERE STANDING UP

TO OUR ESTABLISHMENT BOARD.

MORE AND MORE PEOPLE

RECOGNIZED THAT THE STRENGTH

WAS IN GETTING TOGETHER.

>> WHAT OUR POLITICIANS

COULD NOT ACHIEVE, WE DID.

WHEN WE WERE PLAYING,

HOW WE GOT ON THAT FIELD,

WE PUT ASIDE

ALL THE DIFFERENCES AND ISSUES

WHICH THE ISLANDS HAD,

UNITING THAT REGION TOGETHER

WHERE COLLECTIVELY

EVERYONE COULD SPEAK

AS A UNIT.

>> THE PUBLIC WERE ALL

UNANIMOUS IN CALLING

FOR BOYCOTTS

OF-OF WEST INDIAN GAME.

IT DID SO MUCH FOR CLIVE

TO RECOGNIZE THAT HE WAS

ACCEPTED AS THE LEADER,

NOT JUST WITHIN THE TEAM,

BUT THROUGHOUT THE CARIBBEAN.

>> THE TIMING WAS RIGHT,

AND THE WEST INDIES CRICKET

BOARD'S HANDS WERE TIED.

THEY HAD TO BRING US BACK.

YOU KNOW, WE CAME TOGETHER

AND STUCK TOGETHER.

>> CLIVE RETURNED

AS THE UNDISPUTED LEADER

OF ALL CRICKET.

NO LONGER WOULD POLITICS

DIVIDE OUR PEOPLE,

AND WE WOULD ALL SHARE

IN THE FRUITS

OF THE WEST INDIES' SUCCESS.

>> AND THAT SAME NUCLEUS,

WHICH WAS A REAL FAMILY,

WHO REALLY GELLED,

CAME BACK INTO

TRADITIONAL CRICKET,

AND WE FELT AS IF, YES,

WE HAD REALLY

ACHIEVED SOMETHING.

>> WE WERE A MUCH BETTER TEAM,

FITTER TEAM,

AND THAT WOULD TURN US

INTO PROFESSIONALS.

FROM THEN, I NEVER THOUGHT

WE COULD LOSE, AGAIN.

[ MUSIC ]

>> DURING WORLD SERIES CRICKET,

JOEL GARNER AND I FORCED

OUR WAY INTO THE TEAM,

AND THE BOWLING CHANGED

FOR WEST INDIES.

>> THE MEDIA WERE

VERY INTERESTED BECAUSE,

FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER,

YOU HAD FOUR FAST BOWLERS

WHO COULD ALL BOWL

AT OVER 90 MILES PER HOUR.

>> MICHAEL HOLDING,

ANDY ROBERTS, JOEL GARNER,

AND COLIN CROFT--

COLIN CROFT.

>> WE WERE CALLED

"THE FOUR HORSEMEN

"OF THE APOCALYPSE."

WE WERE CALLED "TERRORISTS,"

"DANGEROUS," WHATEVER.

THEY CALLED US

ALL SORTS OF THINGS.

>> THESE GUYS WERE

PHYSICALLY INTIMIDATING.

JOEL GARNER AT SIX-FOOT EIGHT.

>> AND HE WAS ALWAYS COMING

EITHER AT YOUR TOES

OR UP AT YOUR NECK.

>> GET HIM.

>> THAT IS THE ENEMY OUT THERE.

THOSE FELLAS WEARING THE PADS

ON THEIR BACK,

THOSE WERE THE ENEMY,

AND IT WAS MY INTENTION

TO MAKE LIFE FOR THEM

VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.

>> COLIN CRAFT...

THE AMOUNT OF ACTION,

YOU CANNOT UNDERSTAND.

>> THAT IS A MENACE TO SOCIETY.

>> I WAS SCARY-- I KNOW THAT.

YOU KNOCK A GUY DOWN

WITH A BOUNCER, AND YOU SMILE,

AND YOU LAUGH-- I AM HERE.

GET OUT OF MY WAY.

>> WE ASK HIM, "CRAFTY,

"SUPPOSE YOUR MOTHER WAS AT

"THE OTHER END, BATTING."

HE SAYS, "BOY, IF MY MOTHER

"WAS AT THE OTHER END,

"SHE'S A TARGET."

>> YEAH!

>> ANDY WAS THE HITMAN

AND LABELED THE HITMAN

JUST BECAUSE

HE WAS HITTING PEOPLE.

>> I HEAR PEOPLE SAY

THAT I WAS A HITMAN.

I DIDN'T GO OUT

TO TRY TO HIT PEOPLE.

IT'S JUST THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE

GET HIT.

>> COLIN COWDREY,

SADIQ MOHAMMAD, MAJID KHAN,

ALL DEPRESSED FRACTURE

OF THE CHEEKBONE.

ANDY WAS SO FEARED.

THEY ALL HAD

THEIR DIFFERENT STYLES,

BUT MICHAEL WAS CALLED

"WHISPERING DEATH."

>> THE UMPIRES WOULDN'T

HEAR ME COMING.

HE HAD TO KEEP ON LOOKING

BEHIND HIM TO SEE IF I WAS

ACTUALLY RUNNING IN.

AND I SUPPOSE THE DEATH

CAME FROM THE PACE

AT WHICH I BOWLED,

THAT IT COULD CREATE DEATH.

>> THE TEAM, BY 1979,

WAS STRONGER,

MUCH, MUCH STRONGER.

WE WERE ON TOP OF OUR GAME,

ALL OF US, SUPERB, PREMIUM.

THAT'S PROFESSIONAL SPORTS

AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

>> THE WEST INDIES CAME

AND SAID

TO THE CRICKET CULTURE,

"LISTEN, CRICKET CAN BE

"SPECTACULAR-- IT IS ART."

>> WE WERE BECOMING A FORCE,

POLITICALLY.

>> THEY ARE SAYING

THIS IS A WEST INDIAN PRODUCT.

THEY ARE SHOWING

ON THE WORLD STAGE

COMING OUT OF THE SO-CALLED

THIRD WORLD CAN BE EXCELLENT.

>> THERE'S A WIND OF CHANGE.

LET'S BE BETTER

THAN WE HAVE EVER BEEN.

>> WE ARE ON OUR WAY

TO VICTORY OF GOOD OVER EVIL.

>> CLIVE LLOYD,

YOU KNOW YOU'RE THE MAN.

COLIN CROFT,

ONE TO THE HEAD,

SIX TO THE CHEST.

EH?

CRICKET TA MA SPORTS.

SOME PEOPLE KNOW NOT.

BOWL ME A BOWLER,

AND PEOPLE KNOW THAT.

[RAPPING IN WEST INDIES DIALECT]

CLIVE LLOYD [ INDISTINCT ].

SCORE!

[RAPPING IN WEST INDIES DIALECT]

OKAY!

MICHAEL HOLDING BOWL

THE BALL LIKE SUDAM-SUDAM.

WHAT?

THAT'S WHY CLIVE LLOYD

AND ME [ INDISTINCT ]

YOU KNOW ME BETTER

THAN THE REST.

[RAPPING IN WEST INDIES DIALECT]

[ MUSIC ]

>> WE WERE MADE TO RELIVE '75

AND '76 IN AUSTRALIA.

EVERY TIME THE HIGHLIGHTS

WERE SHOWN OF ONE OF THOSE

TEST MATCHES,

YOU WERE NEVER GIVEN

THE CHANCE TO JUST PUT IT

IN THE BACK OF YOUR MIND.

THEY KEPT ON FOCUSING

ON WHAT HAPPENED.

>> IT WAS SO IMPORTANT

FOR THOSE OF US WHO HAD BEEN

PART OF DEFEAT IN 1975

TO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY

TO PUT THAT RIGHT.

>> AT THAT STAGE,

AUSTRALIA WERE OFFICIALLY

NUMBER ONE IN THE WORLD, STILL.

>> THE WEST INDIES HAD NEVER

WON A TEST SERIES IN AUSTRALIA,

SO THIS WOULD'VE BEEN

BREAKING NEW GROUND.

>> WE MUST BEAT AUSTRALIA

AT ALL COSTS.

IT DIDN'T MATTER HOW WE DID IT,

UGLY, NICE.

WE HAD TO BEAT THEM.

PSYCHOLOGICALLY, PHYSICALLY,

EVERY OTHER ADVERB

YOU COULD USE,

WE WERE READY.

>> WE ENCOUNTERED

SIMILAR PROBLEMS

THAT WE HAD IN '75-'76.

YOU KNOW, THEY WOULD

WALK PAST YOU OR COME DOWN

THE TRACK AND SOMEONE

WOULD SAY, F--

>> "OFF," YOU KNOW?

>> "PISS OFF,"

OR, "YOU'RE A WANKER."

>> YOU KNOW, YOU'RE COMING IN

TO BAT.

BEFORE YOU GET THERE,

DENNIS LILLEE WILL TELL YOU

STRAIGHT OUT,

"I'M GONNA KNOCK

"YOUR F'IN HEAD OFF.

"I'M COMING FOR THAT."

>> AND LENNY PASCO,

AT ONE POINT SAID

IF I HOPED I WAS GONNA BE

A HOSPITAL CASE.

>> I THINK THAT'S NOW

TAKING THE GAME

TO A DIFFERENT LEVEL.

>> THEY THOUGHT THAT

WHEN THEY THREW IT AT US,

WE WERE JUST GOING TO FALL OVER

AND DIE AND REMEMBER

WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE...

BUT IT WASN'T LIKE THAT.

IT WAS A COMPLETELY

DIFFERENT STORY.

>> GETS IT AWAY.

CUTS HARD AND HIGH.

>> THEY WERE TAKEN BY SURPRISE.

>> I WASN'T A HELMET MAN.

I DIDN'T WEAR

ALL THIS PROTECTIVE GEAR.

I KNEW THAT THERE'D BE A LOT

OF FORCES WHO'D BE

LOOKIN' TO GET ME.

THE MESSAGE THAT I SENT

IS THAT I'D RATHER DIE

OUT THERE.

THE ONLY HOW I'M GONNA BE

NOT HERE IS IF

I'M KNOCKED OUT.

>> OH, A NASTY BLOW-NASTY BLOW.

>> BOO!

>> EVERYONE WAS THINKING,

"OH, HELL,

"VIVI IS GONNA BE DAMAGED."

AND WE'RE EXPECTING VIV

TO BE WALKING OFF THE FIELD,

AT SOME POINT.

>> YOU CANNOT AFFORD

TO LET YOUR OPPOSITION KNOW

WHEN YOU ARE HURT.

THEY STAND UP, AND THEY LOOK

YOU IN THE EYE,

AND I LOOK BACK,

AND WE HAVE THIS LITTLE

STARING MATCH FOR A WHILE.

YOU KNOW WHEN YOU HAVE GOT

THE BETTER OF THEM.

BY THE TIME THEY TURN AROUND,

THEY'RE PAST THE UMPIRE,

AND THEY GET BACK

TO THEIR MARK,

THEY WILL TAKE A LITTLE LOOK

AROUND, AGAIN, TO SEE

IF YOU'RE STILL LOOKING.

I'LL BE STILL LOOKING,

YOU KNOW, AND THAT'S WHEN

THEY KNOW THAT YOU'RE SERIOUS.

>> BELSER COMING NEXT BALL.

WHAT AN ANSWER.

>> AND THE VERY NEXT BALL,

HE HIT IT STRAIGHT OUT

OF THE GROUND.

>> LOOK WHAT YOU'VE DONE,

YOU KNOW?

YOU JUST VERY WELL PULLED

A LION TAIL.

THEY WEREN'T SAYING,

"KILL-KILL-KILL" FOR TOO LONG.

AND I THINK WHEN AUSTRALIA

DONE THAT, IT JUST MOTIVATED

OUR PLAYERS TO GET PRETTY MEAN.

>> OH, [ INDISTINCT ] TOOK ONE

TO THE HEART, A NASTY BLOW.

THAT WAS A BLOW

THAT WOULD HURT.

AND JOEL GARNER SAYING

THAT YOU CAN WEAR THAT ONE.

>> THE FOUR GUYS

WHO WE LET LOOSE ON THEM--

>> HE'S CAUGHT THAT ONE,

AS WELL.

>> WERE JUST TOO MUCH.

>> IT'S BEEN A RATHER

PAINFUL DAY

FOR THE AUSTRALIANS.

>> THE SAME AUSTRALIAN

WHO WERE SO AGGRESSIVE,

ALL OF A SUDDEN, WERE CRYING.

AND IMAGINE THAT FROM

AN AUSTRALIAN, YOU KNOW,

I COULD NOT BELIEVE IT.

>> THE HARDER THEY COME,

THE HARDER THEY FALL.

WHEN THEY HAD THE PACE,

AND THE PACE GET REAL HOT,

THEY WOULD TOUCH IT,

AND THEY WOULD WALK,

BECAUSE THE PACE IS REAL HOT.

>> WE WERE TALKING

ABOUT A PEACE TRUCE.

THAT PEACE TRUCE PROBABLY LAST

FOR A GAME, AND THEN IT WAS

BACK TO NORMAL, AGAIN,

YOU KNOW.

>> BUT THAT IS HOW FAR IT WENT,

AT THAT STAGE.

>> AND WE KEPT THE PRESSURE

ON THE OPPOSITION,

AND WE HAMMERED THEM

INTO THE GROUND.

>> THEY BUMPED SHIT

OUT OF THEM.

>> WOW!

THAT, I THINK, WAS SPECIAL.

>> YOU KNOW, IT FELT AS IF,

YES, WE HAD REALLY

ACHIEVED SOMETHING.

WE HAD LEARNED

FROM OUR EXPERIENCES.

AND, YES, WE HAVE NOW

PROVEN OURSELVES,

AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL.

>> YOU KNOW, IT REALLY WAS

A FEELING THAT WEST INDIES

CRICKET HAS NOW COME OF AGE,

AND WE REALLY ARE THE BEST TEAM

IN THE WORLD.

[ MUSIC ]

>> THIS WAS THE FIRST TIME

THE WEST INDIES HAVE PRODUCED

SOMETHING WHICH WAS THE BEST

THE WORLD HAD SEEN.

>> HERE WE ARE,

SEVERAL DOTS ON THE MAP,

DOMINATING THE WORLD.

>> IT'S DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE

THE FEELINGS NOW.

>> THERE WAS JOY BEYOND WORDS.

>> WE'RE ON A HIGH.

IT'S CELEBRATION TIME.

>> EVERYTHING WAS WORKING OUT

TO PERFECTION.

WE WENT TO PAKISTAN,

AND WE'RE THE ONLY TEAM TO BEAT

PAKISTAN IN PAKISTAN, EVER.

WE WENT TO INDIA AND BEAT

INDIA, AGAIN,

AS THE ONLY TEAM

TO HAVE DONE THAT.

>> WEST INDIES BOWLING WAS

POETRY IN MOTION, AT THAT TIME

AND YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT

SINCE.

>> WE JUST WANTED

TO WIN EVERYTHING.

WE WANTED TO WIN EVERY GAME.

WE PUT OUR FEET ON THEM,

KEPT THEM DOWN, AND BEAT THEM.

YOU-YOU CAN'T BEAT A TEAM

LIKE THAT.

HOW YOU GONNA BEAT A TEAM

LIKE THAT.

>> WHEN WEST INDIES BEGAN

TO WIN SO CONSISTENTLY,

IT TRIGGERED A PRIDE

IN THE WORKPLACE.

IT TRIGGERED A PRIDE

IN THE WAY WE DRESSED,

IN THE WAY WE WENT INTO STUDIOS

AND RECORDED.

>> AFRICAN CULTURE

HAD BEEN CRIMINALIZED

AND DRIVEN INTO THE GROUND

FOR 300 YEARS.

AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY

TO BE FREE TO EXPRESS ITSELF,

IT COMES UP TO THE SURFACE,

AND IT COMES BACK THERE, AGAIN.

AND SUDDENLY, WE HAVE THIS

EXTRAORDINARY EMERGENCE

OF CULTURE IN THE CARIBBEAN.

>> BOB MARLEY AND THE WAILERS,

JIMMY CLIFF,

COMING WITH AGGRESSION,

ABRASION AND A FORCE OF CHANGE.

YOU COMBINE ALL OF THAT

WITH THE WEST INDIES CRICKET

SUCCESS, UNBELIEVABLE.

THEY THOUGHT THAT

WE WERE HEROES...

BUT TO ME, THEY WERE HEROES.

BOB MARLEY COME TO

THE DRESSING ROOM,

TELLING YOU, "YOU GOTTA WIN."

[SPEAKING WEST INDIES DIALECT]

WE GOTTA GET THESE MEN

OUT QUICK-- BRILLIANT!

THAT'S A PERIOD OF HISTORY

THAT WILL FOREVER BE

THE MOST PRODUCTIVE TIME

OF OUR LIVES.

>> THEY START TO BOAST.

INSTEAD OF BEING ASHAMED,

THEY CAN WAVE THEIR FLAGS

AND SAY, "OUR HEROES

"MADE US LOOK GOOD."

>> YOU KNOW, ALL THESE TUNES

ARE TOTALLY INSPIRING STUFF.

YOU KNOW, SOUNDING

THE PROTEST BELL.

>> GET UP

STAND UP

STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT

GET UP

STAND UP

STAND UP FOR YOUR RIGHT

>> "STAND UP, STAND UP," TO ME,

IT'S NOT A CRIME, YOU KNOW.

IT'S ABOUT STANDING UP

FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE IN.

AND YOU'RE WALKING THROUGH

THE FIELDS, AND IT'S TOTALLY

EMBEDDED IN YOUR MIND.

YOU MAY CALL IT

YOUR BATTLEFIELD MUSIC,

YOU KNOW.

>> I WILL NEVER, EVER FORGET.

EVERY TIME THAT I SPEAK

ABOUT HIM NOW,

I CAN PICTURE HIM, RIGHT THERE.

IN HIS HEART,

BURNS THE CUSTOM CULTURE

OF RASTAFARI.

HE WAS RASTARIZED.

BUT OTHER PEOPLE DIDN'T KNOW

THAT CAME FROM HIM

HAVING TO DO WITH BOB MARLEY.

HE'D ALWAYS FIND HIMSELF

IN THE COMPANY OF THE WAILERS.

HAD HE NOT BEEN INVOLVED

IN CRICKET, HE WOULD'VE SURELY

BEEN A DREAD-LOCKED RASTA MAN.

REAL DEAL.

>> VIV WAS VERY, VERY MUCH

THE DARLING OF CARIBBEAN PEOPLE,

YOU KNOW.

HE WAS REALLY THE EXTENSION,

PHILOSOPHICALLY, OF CLIVE LLOYD,

TAKING IT NOW TO

A FURTHER CONSCIOUSNESS

OF SPIRITUAL RELIGIOUS THOUGHT.

VIV WAS REALLY BECOMING INTO

THE FULLNESS OF IDENTITY

AS AN AFRICAN.

>> EVEN HIS ARMBAND

THAT HE WORE SHOWED

THE AFRICAN COLORS.

>> THE GREEN

FOR THE LAND ITSELF.

THE YELLOW FOR THE GOLD,

TAKING AWAY AND STRIPPED AWAY.

THE RED MEANT THE BLOOD

THAT WAS SHED.

THOSE PARTICULAR COLORS

AND WHAT IT MEANT.

>> TAKE TIME OUT.

AND PLAY THIS ONE FOR

OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS

IN SOUTH AFRICA.

AFRICAN PEOPLE UNITE, MAN.

[ MUSIC ]

>> THERE WAS A GREAT SENSE OF

SYMPATHY FOR THE STRUGGLES

FOR INDEPENDENCE IN AFRICA,

AT THE TIME,

BE THEY IN MOZAMBIQUE,

ZIMBABWE, OR SOUTH AFRICA.

THEY ANTI-APARTHEID FIGHT,

THE ANTI-COLONIAL FIGHT,

WAS VERY MUCH PART OF

THE CARIBBEAN STRUGGLE, ALSO.

>> YOU FELT SERIOUSLY EMBODIED

WITH THE FOLKS

WHO WERE SUFFERING

IN SOUTH AFRICA.

THIS HUMAN INJUSTICE

TAKING PLACE FOR SO MANY YEARS.

>> IT WAS A REAL SENSE

OF HORROR.

BLACK PEOPLE WERE BEING

JUST SHOT DOWN MERCILESSLY,

AND PARTICULARLY THOSE DOGS

RUNNING THROUGH

SO WHERE TO BITE ENOUGH PEOPLE,

ETCETERA.

IT BROUGHT TEARS TO THE EYES

OF CARIBBEAN WATCHERS, MAN.

THERE WAS ALWAYS A FEELING

THAT WE COULD DO EVERYTHING

TO ASSIST THEM,

NOT ONLY IN SONG

AND IN CULTURAL EXPRESSIONS,

BUT THE FIELD OF CRICKET, ALSO,

IN IMPOSING THE SANCTIONS

AGAINST SOUTH AFRICA.

>> SEVENTEEN WEST INDIAN

CRICKETERS ARE TO PLAY IN

A COUNTRY WHICH HAS BEEN BANNED

FROM INTERNATIONAL CRICKET

BECAUSE OF ITS

APARTHEID POLICIES.

>> SO THAT IT WAS A GREAT

ABHORRENCE WHEN SOME OF

OUR CRICKETERS DEFIED

THE SANCTIONS AND WENT TO PLAY

IN SOUTH AFRICA.

>> THIS IS A MAJOR PROPAGANDA

COUP FOR SOUTH AFRICA.

THE FACT THAT THEY ARE BLACK

WILL BE SEEN AS GIVING

SOME CREDIBILITY

TO THE SOUTH AFRICAN REGIME.

>> MOST CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

WERE IN SHOCK.

>> HOW CAN ANYONE SUPPORT

A REGIME LIKE THAT?

>> AS KERRY PACKER SAID,

"EVERY MAN HAS HIS PRICE."

>> MONEY IS EVERYBODY'S GOD.

LET'S BE HONEST.

YOU HAVE TO LOOK

AFTER YOURSELF.

>> THE TEAM IS BELIEVED

TO INCLUDE COLIN CROFT, LURED

BY THE 70,000 POUND CONTRACT.

FORMER JAMAICAN PRIME MINISTER,

MICHAEL MANLEY SAID,

"THE REBEL PLAYERS

"WERE MERCENARIES."

>> I'M A MERCENARY?

WHEN I WENT TO

WORLD SERIES CRICKET,

WAS I NOT A MERCENARY THEN?

I'M NOT SURE I UNDERSTAND

THE DIFFERENCES.

IT'S NOT A GAME.

IT'S MY LIVELIHOOD.

THIS IS MY JOB.

>> NOW, WE WANTED TO KNOW

WHO ELSE IS GOING.

WHO ELSE ARE THEY AFTER?

>> EVERY MAN HAS HIS PRICE.

HOW HE CONDUCTS HIMSELF

WILL DETERMINE

HOW HE WILL RATE IN HISTORY.

>> WELL, IT WAS AN OPEN CHECK,

BASICALLY, FOR MY FIGURE,

AT THE TIME.

IF I HAD SIGNED THEN,

THEN I THINK WE WOULD'VE HAD

THE EXODUS.

I THINK WEST INDIES TEAM

WOULD'VE DISMANTLED,

AT THAT PARTICULAR PERIOD.

I FELT THAT I HAD TO SHOW

SOME LEADERSHIP.

NOT GOING

TO THE APARTHEID REGIME

IN SOUTH AFRICA.

>> I WILL NOT GO.

THEY CANNOT PAY ME

ENOUGH MONEY.

THE SACRIFICES VIV RICHARDS

MADE IS REALLY HEROIC.

I-I SEE A SERIOUS CORRELATION

BETWEEN MUHAMMAD ALI

AND VIV RICHARDS.

ONE TRYING TO WIN A MEDAL,

REFUSING TO FIGHT AN UNJUST WAR,

AND THE OTHER ONE REFUSING

TO TAKE A MILLION DOLLAR CHECK

FROM AN UNJUST SOCIETY.

>> ONE OF THE THINGS

ON THE TABLE IS THAT,

WHILST THERE, YOU'RE GONNA BE

AN HONORARY WHITE.

HOW CAN A-A BLACK MAN

BE AN HONORARY WHITE MAN?

>> WHAT IS WRONG

WITH THE COLOR OF MY SKIN?

WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY ETHNICITY?

WHY SHOULD EVERYONE TELL ME

I'VE GOT TO BE AN HONORARY

ANYTHING APART FROM WHAT I AM?

THESE GUYS HAVE SOLD OUT,

HAVING NOW ACCEPTED

THE TERM "HONORARY WHITE."

IF THEY PAID THEM ENOUGH MONEY,

THEY'D BE WILLING TO EVEN ACCEPT

CHAINS ON THEIR ANKLES.

I WAS DISGUSTED.

>> THOSE REBEL CRICKETERS,

THEY WERE BRINGING DOWN

THE WRATH OF OUR ANCESTORS,

AND THEY WERE BRINGING DOWN

THE CURSES OF

THE AFRICAN SPIRITS

BY HAVING BETRAYED THE CAUSE

OF AFRICAN REBELLION

AND OF AFRICAN LIBERATION.

>> I HAD AN INCIDENT IN

SOUTH AFRICA WHERE I WAS ASKED

TO REMOVE MYSELF

FROM A TRAIN CARRIAGE

BECAUSE IT WAS FOR WHITES ONLY.

THAT'S FINE.

THAT'S-- IT'S NOT FINE.

A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL SAY,

"WELL, LOOK,

"EMBARRASS THE CARIBBEAN."

I TAKE WHATEVER COMES WITH IT.

>> WEST INDIAN

CRICKET AUTHORITIES HAVE BANNED

ITS PLAYERS WHO'VE DEFIED

AN INTERNATIONAL BOYCOTT

AND GONE TO PLAY

IN SOUTH AFRICA.

>> THEY WERE DESTROYED.

THEIR CAREERS WERE TORN DOWN.

THEIR RESPECT WAS, YOU KNOW,

TO THE DUST, TO THE GARBAGE.

>> CARIBBEAN PEOPLE

JUST OSTRACIZED THEM.

JUST CAST THEM OFF

THE MAP TOTALLY.

THEIR LIFE WAS JUST GENERALLY

MADE VERY MISERABLE.

NOTHING GOOD EVER CAME OF

MANY OF THEM.

SOME OF THEM ARE THOUGHT

TO HAVE GONE KINKY,

GETTING HOOKED ON COCAINE

OR OTHER DEBILITATING DRUGS,

AND THAT'S ANOTHER

DEVILISH CURSE.

>> I HAD HEARD SOME OF

THE PLAYERS WHO CAME BACK

WERE BADLY TREATED.

I HAD HEARD THAT SOME OF THEM

HAD FALLEN ON HARD TIMES...

BUT WHEN I CAME BACK

FROM SOUTH AFRICA,

I DIDN'T COME BACK TO

THE WEST INDIES.

I WENT TO FLORIDA.

IT HURT TO NOT BE

A PART OF THAT TEAM.

BEING ABLE TO WALK

DOWN THE STREET,

HOLD YOUR HEAD HIGH,

THAT WAS BETTER THAN

MILLIONAIRES.

THAT WAS BETTER THAN GOLD.

>> THESE GUYS WILL ALWAYS BE

MY FRIENDS, REGARDLESS OF

THE DECISIONS THAT

THEY MADE IN LIFE.

I'M NOT IN ANY POSITION

TO JUDGE ANYONE,

BUT THE JURIES ARE OUT THERE.

I MET DESMOND TUTU,

AND HE SAID NELSON MANDELA

APPRECIATED WHAT

THE WEST INDIES WAS DOING,

AT THE TIME.

THANK YOU, SO MUCH,

IN HELPING TO DISMANTLE

THE APARTHEID REGIME,

AND HELPING THE UPLIFTMENT

OF SOME OF OUR STRUGGLING

BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

WHEN I HEARD THAT, UM,

I WAS RATHER MOVED.

WOW... THEY KNEW WHO YOU WERE,

AND THEY KNEW EXACTLY

THE PART YOU PLAYED.

IT FELT VERY APPRECIATED.

YEAH.

THE STRUGGLE GOES ON.

EVEN THOUGH YOU ARE WINNING

AS MUCH AS YOU ARE,

YOU GOTTA BE SO AWARE

AND BE WATCHFUL.

THAT'S WHEN THE EVIL SIDE

OF THINGS AND THE RACISM

COULD EASILY CATCH YOU

OFF GUARD.

YOU STOP TAKING THE PUNCHES NOW

AND START GIVING SOME.

ALL OF A SUDDEN,

SOME HAVE A PROBLEM WITH THAT.

>> EVERY TIME THERE HAVE BEEN

SUCCESSFUL BLACK EXPRESSIONS,

BE IT CULTURALLY, SPORT,

OR POLITICALLY,

THERE HAVE BEEN ATTEMPTS

TO BRING IT DOWN.

>> THE ENGLISH PRESS

HAVE ALWAYS BEEN

VERY, VERY, VERY DAMAGING.

>> HOW WE SUFFERED

THE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE

THAT THE ENGLISH PRESS

USED TO PUT US ON.

>> I LOATHE IT.

I THINK THIS CRICKET

IS RUBBISH.

WHAT YOU'RE DOING,

IS YOU'RE STAGING

A HUMAN COCONUT SHOT.

>> SOME OF THE PLAYERS THOUGHT

THE LEVEL OF CRITICISM

WAS RACIAL.

>> BECAUSE THEY COULDN'T

GET TO YOU, COLOR

WAS ALWAYS THE NEXT THING.

>> I DON'T SUPPOSE

THEY EXPECTED THE SUCCESS

TO HAVE GONE ON SO LONG.

THEY JUST THOUGHT THAT

THEY'LL FALL, SO,

YEAH, A COUPLE OF YEARS,

AND THEN THEY'LL BE BACK

WHERE WE KNOW THEM TO BE.

>> THEY WANTED THE OLD STYLE

WEST INDIES OF

ENTERTAINING AND LOSING.

WHEN THAT CHANGED,

A LOT OF PEOPLE

DIDN'T LIKE THAT IDEA.

>> THIS IS THE BODY ARMOR

REQUIRED AGAINST

THE WEST INDIES.

SELF-PRESERVATION

IS THE NAME OF THE GAME.

>> WE WERE NEVER GIVEN CREDIT.

WE WERE ALWAYS

BEING LOOKED UPON AS THOUGH

OUR SUCCESS WAS MAINLY

THROUGH INTIMIDATION.

>> THOSE SORT OF THINGS

WILL MAKE ME LOSE MY COOL.

PEOPLE WHO DIDN'T HAVE THE

FAST BOWLERS WERE THE ONES

WHO WERE CRITICAL.

>> [ INDISTINCT ] IS UNDER IT.

HE'S CAUGHT IT!

>> LET NO ONE FOOL YOU.

EVERYONE WANTED TO HAVE

FAST BOWLERS THE WAY WE DID,

EVERYONE.

THERE WAS JEALOUSY.

IT WENT TO THE VERY TOP.

>> THE ENGLISH PEOPLE

IN AUTHORITY DECIDED TO

RESTRICT THE WEST INDIES--

DIFFERENT RULES

AND LIMITATIONS ON

HOW YOU CAN BOWL THE BALL.

IT WAS JUST TOO MUCH.

>> THEY DID EVERYTHING

TO STIFLE THE SUCCESS

OF WEST INDIES CRICKET,

AND THEY ALWAYS THOUGHT

THAT THEY WOULD KILL US.

>> GOING TO ENGLAND IN 1984,

WE WANTED TO SEND A MESSAGE

THAT WHEN WE ARE HURT,

WE WILL COME OUT FIGHTING.

>> THE DRIVE AGAINST ENGLAND,

IT WAS A MATTER OF MAKING SURE

THAT WHAT WE STARTED

WE WERE GONNA FINISH.

CAN WE DO IT, AGAIN?

LET'S GO OUT THERE AND PROVE

THAT THE FIRST ONE

WASN'T A FAKE.

>> A GREAT OCCASION

OF THE SUMMER--

ENGLAND AND THE WEST INDIES.

TWO TEAMS LOCKED IN BATTLE.

A VERY, VERY IMPORTANT STAND,

THIS FOR ENGLAND.

>> ENGLAND HAD VERY GOOD

PLAYERS DURING THAT PERIOD,

SOME OF THE BEST IN THE WORLD.

>> AND, SOME FIERY EXCHANGES

OUT THERE.

>> THEY COULD COMPETE.

THERE'S SO MUCH

IMMENSE PRESSURE.

>> THE ENGLISH WERE SAYING

THAT THIS IS THE BEST CHANCE

TO BEAT US.

>> IT WAS A WHO WILL

DRAW FIRST BLOOD SITUATION.

>> GREAT SHOT.

OH, THAT'S A GOOD START

BY ENGLAND.

BREAKS THROUGH!

LOVELY DISPLAY OF AGGRESSION.

AND ALLAN LAMB

GOES TO [ INDISTINCT ].

>> THAT TEST MATCH AT LORDS,

THEY WERE THE ASCENDANCY.

>> THE WEST INDIES

DEEP IN TROUBLE NOW.

>> I CAN REMEMBER WONDERING

TO MYSELF,

"ARE WE GONNA WIN HIS GAME?"

>> FACING THE FIRE,

IT WAS PRESSURE FOR ME.

IS TODAY GOING TO BE MY DAY?

ALL THESE THINGS

WE WOULD'VE GONE THROUGH,

THOSE YEARS OF HURT,

NOW HAVE TO BE PUT IN FOCUS.

>> THAT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY

STROKE.

AND THAT WENT OFF

LIKE A ROCKET.

THE WEST INDIANS SPECTATORS

ARE DELIRIOUS.

>> WHEN BOWLIN' HIS BEST,

I TELL YOU, IT'S BRILLIANT

TO WATCH. AND THAT DAY

AT LORD'S, YOU KNOW,

HE-HE JUST LOOKED UNSTOPPABLE.

>> HE WAS JUST IN AWESOME FORM,

FLYING IT TO ALL PARTS

OF THE GROUND.

I APPLAUDED HIM ALL THE WAY

BACK TO THE PAVILION.

>> TWO HUNDRED AND FOURTEEN

NOT OUT.

AND WHAT SEEMED TO BE

AN ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE ASSIGNMENT

HAS TURNED OUT TO BE

AN ABSOLUTE DOUBLE.

>> AND I THINK THAT WAS

A DEFINING MOMENT.

WE FELT THAT WE COULD

COME FROM THE BRINK,

REGARDLESS OF WHATEVER.

>> WE WERE NOW FIGHTERS.

WE DIDN'T KNOW

WHEN WE WERE BEATEN.

NOTHING WAS TOO DAUNTING

FOR US.

>> AND OUT OF THAT SPIRIT

EMERGED THIS YOUNGSTER

CALLED MALCOLM MARSHALL.

ONCE MALCOLM MARSHALL

WENT OUT, YOU KNEW

THAT HE WAS GONNA PRODUCE.

>> MARSHALL STRIKES, AGAIN.

>> MALCOLM WAS A GUY

WHO JUST EXUDE

THIS SORT OF BRILLIANCE.

>> THE FUTURE OF THE BOWLER

WAS ALWAYS THERE.

THAT WAS MALCOLM.

>> MALCOLM MARSHALL BEARING

A DOUBLE FRACTURE.

>> HE BROKE HIS ARM,

IT WAS IN PLASTER.

I SAID, "DO YOU THINK

"YOU CAN PLAY WITH THAT?"

HE SAID, "WELL,

"IF YOU WANT ME TO, I WILL."

>> TO SEE HIM COME OUT

WITH ONE ARM

IN THE PLASTER OF PARIS,

I THINK MADE HIM

A GIANT OF A MAN, REALLY.

>> HERE WAS A GUY WHO WAS

IN EXCRUCIATING PAIN,

RUNNING UP TO BOWL

AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT,

WENT OUT AND BAT,

AND WON THE GAME FOR US.

THAT SHOWED THE SPIRIT

OF OUR TEAM.

>> THE STATEMENT MADE,

YOU KNOW, JUST VERY,

VERY POWERFUL.

>> NEEDS GLASSES

TO BELIEVE THIS.

>> IT'S NOT JUST A MAN OUT

IN THE FIELD, BOWLING THE BALL

AND TRYING TO GET THE OPPONENT.

IT'S THE MAN WATCHING THE RADIO

WHO SAYS,

"YOU'RE GONNA BOWL HIM NOW.

"WE HAVE TO GET HIM NOW."

AND-AND-AND I'VE SEEN

THIS HAPPENING.

[SPEAKING WEST INDIES DIALECT]

>> THAT WAS A GENUINE BOUNCER.

>> GO ON HIM, GO ON HIM!

>> WHAT WAS THAT?

>> SEEING THE STUMP FLYING--

[ INDISTINCT ]

>> THAT WAS TOUGH PLASTER.

>> BIG NIGHT IN THE PLACE, MAN.

YOU KNOW, THEY GOT

WHAT THEY WANT.

>> NO FUN, I CAN TELL YOU,

FOR ANY ENGLAND BATSMAN.

>> THAT'S THE KIND OF

UNIFICATION,

THAT'S THE KIND OF WILL POWER

THAT THE PEOPLE DEVELOP.

>> YOU HAD JUST SEEN

SOMETHING TOTALLY BRUTAL,

AND ALL THAT IT NEEDED

WAS THE FINISHING TOUCHES.

>> AT THE END OF

A FOUR TEST MATCH,

WE WERE [ INDISTINCT ].

WE COULD NOT TAKE

THE FOOT OFF THE GAS.

WE NEVER PLAYED CRICKET

LIKE THAT, NOT THE TEAM

I HAD PLAYED FOR, ANYWAY.

>> WE WERE HUMILIATING THEM.

WE WERE REALLY MAKING THEM

GROVEL BY THEIR NOT BEING

ALLOWED TO WIN EVEN ONE TEST.

>> THERE WAS THIS FEELING

THAT WE COULD BE LOOKING

AT FIVE-NONE.

>> THE VIBES START.

>> ANGEL'S GONE MAD.

>> I RUN DOWN SIDE WITH FLAG.

>> PEOPLE WENT CRAZY.

YOU'RE TALKING A TREMENDOUS

AMOUNT OF ENERGY.

>> I COULD IMAGINE THE NOISE

IN THE VARIOUS ISLANDS.

I COULD SEE THE PASSION,

HOW PEOPLE FELT.

>> WEST INDIES ARE DELIGHTED.

BOTHAM IS GONE.

>> ALL THESE GUYS HAD

A VERY SPECIAL MESSAGE.

I THINK WE HAD AN

EQUAL POWER IN HERE.

>> BABYLON, IT'S NOT A PLACE.

IT'S A PRACTICE

THAT IS UNRIGHTEOUS.

ME NOT RATING YOU

BECAUSE OF YOUR COLOR.

NOT TREATING EACH OTHER

AS HUMAN BEINGS.

THAT IS BABYLON.

>> THE ENGLISH HAD DIFFICULTY

IN RECOGNIZING

WHAT WEST INDIANS

HAD DONE FOR CRICKET.

BUT GUESS WHAT?

I THINK THEY CAME TO LIKE IT.

THIS WAS GOING TO

CHANGE THE GAME FOREVER,

AND IT WAS GOING TO

BRING VALUE.

THAT IS WHAT YOU CALL

CULTURAL EXCHANGE

IN ITS FINEST SENSE.

>> LIVE FOR YOURSELF,

YOU LIVE IN VAIN.

LIVE FOR OTHERS,

YOU LIVE AGAIN.

ONE LOVE.

>> THEY'RE A PART OF US.

WHATEVER WE DID,

WHATEVER WE ACHIEVED,

WE BROUGHT A LOT

OF PROMISE TO PEOPLE,

TO THE PEOPLE

WHO WERE STRUGGLING.

>> WHEN WE DEFEATED ENGLAND,

BEATING THEM EVERY TEST

OF THE SERIES, REPRESENTED

A TOTAL REVERSAL

OF OUR HUMILIATION

AND OUR FULL FLOWERIN'

AS A CRICKET IN POWER,

EVEN IN CHANGING IT FROM

WHITEWASH AND CALLING IT NOW

"BLACKWASH."

BLACK IS BEAUTIFUL.

BLACK IS BRIGHT.

>> THAT, TO ME, EPITOMIZED

EVERYTHING THAT WE REPRESENTED,

YOU KNOW, BRAVERY,

WANTING TO SUCCEED,

A TRUE WEST INDIAN FEELING.

>> THERE WAS A LOT

THAT WE HAD TO OVERCOME.

WE DID NOT COMPLAIN,

AND HERE WE ARE,

ONE OF THE GREATEST

SPORTING TEAMS IN THE HISTORY

OF TEAM SPORTS.

>> TO BE AROUND PEOPLE

WHO YOU HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT

OF RESPECT FOR AND TO BE ABLE

TO HAVE DONE THAT WITH THEM

IS SPECIAL-- YEAH.

>> ALL RIGHT,

LET ME CUT IT SHORT.

THIS WAS LIKE SLAVE WHIPPING

THE ASSES OF MASTERS.

>> THESE ARE REAL MOMENTS

IN ONE'S LIFE, ESPECIALLY

WITH THE STRUGGLES

THAT ONE WOULD'VE BEEN THROUGH.

IT IS HISTORY

THAT YOU'LL NEVER FORGET.

>> THAT'S WHAT IT WAS.

>> song: I SEE YOUR FACE

IN FRONT OF ME SO GRAINY

FROM THAT OLD BLACK AND WHITE TV

MY WHOLE FAMILY SILENT

WATCHING YOU SHAKE DESTINY

TWO HANDS FASTER

THAN THE EYE CAN SEE

[ INDISTINCT ]

>> I'LL JUST STATE A FEW FACTS.

THIS IS A FACT,

AN UNDISPUTED FACT,

THAT BETWEEN FEBRUARY

AND MARCH OF 1980

AND FEBRUARY AND MARCH

OF 1995,

THE WEST INDIES DID NOT LOSE

A TEST SERIES.

FIFTEEN YEARS, THEY DID NOT

LOSE A TEST SERIES.

AND NO OTHER SPORTING TEAM

IN ANY DISCIPLINE,

ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD,

DOMINATED THEIR SPORT

FOR 15 YEARS,

AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT.

[ MUSIC ]

[ MUSIC ]