FIRE IN BABYLON: MOVIE REVIEW

 

Image Credit- IMDb.

The West Indies cricket team that broke records in the 1970s and 1980s is the subject of the 2010 British documentary Fire in Babylon. The film was written and directed by Stevan Riley and was nominated for a British Independent Film Award for Best Documentary. It features stock footage and interviews with a number of former players and officials, including Colin Croft, Deryck Murray, Joel Garner, Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Michael Holding, Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, and Andy Roberts. The documentary tells the story of how West Indies cricket evolved from a squad primarily made up of entertaining, highly skilled "Calypso Cricketers" to a focused team that ruled the world of cricket for nearly two decades. 

First, the West Indies Cricket Team is introduced. This idea of culturally and politically diverse Caribbean nations competing under the common flag of the West Indies is portrayed through interviews with legendary West Indian cricket players and other individuals closely involved with West Indies cricket. A brief overview of West Indies cricket history is given, including the selection of Sir Frank Worrell as the team's first black captain and the rise to prominence of players like Sir Garfield Sobers, Learie Constantine, and Everton Weekes. Despite the fact that each of these cricket players have exceptional skill, their inability to produce outcomes led to the West Indies being viewed as "Calypso Cricketers"—entertaining players who would ultimately fall short.

A new generation of West Indian cricket players emerged in the early 1970s, ready to dispel the Calypso moniker and take the globe by storm. It's been suggested that ten young guys from different Caribbean islands make up a gang rather than a squad. A helping hand was what this young squad needed, someone who could lead them in the right path and bring them together on the cricket pitch for a common cause. Clive Lloyd turned out to be that man. Lloyd was appointed Captain in 1974, and the 1975–76 West Indies Tour of Australia presented his first significant test.

With their quick bowling, Australia's Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomson annihilated the West Indies. The team's spirit was broken by frequent bouncers and intimidating tactics, as Australia emerged victorious from the six-match test series 5-1. By the end of the series, Clive Lloyd knew that he would have to develop fast bowlers as lethal as Lillee and Thomson if he has to win games.

Clive Lloyd put his new offensive strategy to the test in 1976 when the Indian Cricket Team went on tour to the West Indies. He pressured his fast bowlers, Wayne Daniel, Michael Holding, and Andy Roberts, into giving Indian batsmen bouncers or short pitches. The management of the Indian team chose not to risk bringing their bowlers, including Bishen Singh Bedi, up against the formidable fast bowling when they were playing at Kingston, Jamaica, and declared on a 12-run lead in the second inning.

Satisfied with the efficiency of fast bowling as a tool for winning, Clive Lloyd's squad left on their 1976 Tour of England. The full clip of England captain Tony Greig's infamous "grovel" remark is presented, along with a description of how it inspired the players. West Indian fast bowling is viewed as a threat to the game after some extremely aggressive bowling against the English batsmen. The West Indians, however, believed that they were playing within the laws and spirit of the game. Sir Viv Richards dominated the series as he amassed 829 runs in four tests with two double hundreds. One of the best ways for a batsman to deal with West Indian bowling is also to emulate Viv Richards, who refused to let fast bowling intimidate him.

The documentary then details how Kerry Packer persuaded the team to play in the 1977 World Series of Cricket after they had fought with their board for a higher payout. World Series Cricket turns out to be a precursor to cricket improvements that were only instituted permanently in the 1990s, including day/night matches, colored clothing, and a stronger focus on professionalism in the game. The West Indian squad leaves the competition stronger, fitter, and with a better prepared attitude on the game.

The documentary also describes the 1982 Rebel Tour to South Africa, then ruled by apartheid. Colin Croft decides to leave, and the West Indies Cricket Board bans him for life. But Viv Richards, the global superstar, is the regime's primary aim. Richards claims he was given "a blank cheque," but he declined to travel since doing so would have supported the then-officially sanctioned racism of the South African government.

The tour of the West Indies in England in 1984 is described at the conclusion. The West Indies become unstoppable as fast bowling legends like Joel Garner and Malcolm Marshall step up to replace Croft. The West Indies become a strong force as they thrash England 5–0 in the five-test series. Instead of using the standard phrase "Whitewash" to characterize this kind of victory, the series was given the moniker "Blackwash."

The documentary concludes with an account of how the West Indians came to be loved, respected, and even admired by cricket fans and rival teams worldwide. Michael Holding explains as the closing credits roll how the West Indies Cricket Team did not lose a single Test series from February 1980 to March 1995. 

The documentary is indeed very well made and hence a must watch for every Cricket Fan.

To watch the Documentary, Click Here.