Opinion
The years of cricket between 1980 and 1990 will never be beaten, and here is a taste of what this amazing period provided.
1. The series
Ian Botham’s Ashes, or the 1981 Australia versus England Test match series. One of the greatest comebacks in the sport’s history. England were down 1-0 and Ian Botham was sacked as captain. He launched a comeback that has inspired numerous books, writings and documentaries narrated by Hollywood stars.
2. The drama
The underarm. Another incident that inspired a fantastic documentary released in 2019. The incident galvanised New Zealand cricket and will always be brought up in any sporting clash across the two nations.
3. The skulduggery
Rebel tours by England, the West Indies, Sri Lanka and Australia to the banned nation of South Africa required a lot of wheeling and dealing and front-page headlines across many nations.
4. The players
Viv Richards, Allan Border, Malcolm Marshall, Ian Botham, Joel Garner, Imran Khan, Kapil Dev. That’s to name just a few of the outstanding players and big personalities that dominated the decade.
(Adrian Murrell / Getty Images)
4. The upset
India’s win in the 1983 World Cup toppled the mighty West Indies line-up. That win showed that India was a world power in the game and they backed this up by winning the 1984 World Championship of Cricket in Australia.
5. The spell
Patrick Patterson’s spell at Sabina Park in Jamaica in 1986 was terrifying. Fire and pace and on an up-and-down wicket, Patterson’s spell was described by wicketkeeper Jeff Dujon as rapid.
6. The all-rounders
Ian Botham, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan, Clive Rice. No decade has had the world-class all-rounders that walked the international ovals of that decade.
7. The heavyweight clash
Pakistan’s tour of the West Indies in 1988, to be precise. The series was drawn 1-1 and it was the closest the West Indies came to losing a series at home during their golden era. They were led by Imran Khan, who had to be coerced out of retirement. This series brought out the best in both sides.
8. The fall and rise of Australia cricket
Retirements and the South African rebel tour left Australia down and out. Ashes thrashings and New Zealand winning their first series in Australia left the Australian team in a dark place and looking for answers. The ACB hired Bob Simpson and within two seasons Australia was holding up the 1987 World Cup in Eden Gardens, India.
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