The decline in West Indian batting through the 1990s could hardly
have been predicted when the elegant Carl Hooper was brought
into the Test team in the late 1980s. He seemed to be the next in
the line of great West Indian batsmen which lead from George Challenor
up to Viv Richards. 'Cool Carl' had everything a batsman could need
and more: technique, power-of-stroke, style.
Over the years it became apparent that he had everything but the most
important thing of all: Weight of runs. He looked so good that no one
could find an explanation for his seeming underachievement. The unthinking
fell back on that old canard of a flaw in his character, but it is more likely
he just came up against some good bowlers. He began well with 100
not out in his second Test in Calcutta on a 1986-87 Indian tour, but the
33 and 30 he made against Pakistan in Guyana early in 1988 was more
symptomatic of his career.
In England in 1988 he made 84 in the first Test but his best score in the
rest of the series was 23. In Australia in 1988-89 his top score was 64.
Hooper could dominate. In Lahore in 1990-91 he made 134 out of 294
, and 111 at Lord's in 1991, as well as 55 not out at Edgbaston when
he won the game in partnership with Viv Richards. In 1993 he made
178 not out against Pakistan in Antigua, and with his improving off
spin took 5-40 in Trinidad and 7-96 in Bridgetown. In the World Cup,
too, he was an enigma, with a top score of 34 not out against India
at Wellington in 1992, and little impact at all in 1987 save for bowling
figures of 3-42 against England at Gujranwala. (Bob Harragan)