George Headley: West Indies ke pehle azeem balle baaz

1930 ki dahai mein jab West Indies ki team abhi Test Cricket mein qadam jama rahi thi, us ki batting ka sara bojh ek dubley patley, phurtile balle baaz ke kandhon par hota tha. Yeh Jamaica ke George Headley (George Headley) thay. Unhon ne sirf 22 Test match khele, magar 60.83 ki ausat se 2190 runs banaye aur 10 centuries score keen¹. ESPNcricinfo ke mutabiq woh Khel ke har darje par runs ka ambar lagate rahe aur unhon ne West Indies ke aane wale khilariyon ki kai naslon ke liye miyar qaim kiya².

Ibtidai zindagi aur Cricket ka aghaz

George Alphonso Headley 30 May 1909 ko wasti America ke mulk Panama ke shehar Colon mein paida huye, jahan un ke walid Panama nahar ki tameer mein kaam kar rahe thay. Un ki pehli zaban hispani thi; 10 baras ki umar mein unhein angrezi seekhne ke liye Jamaica bhej diya gaya, aur irada yeh tha ke woh aage chal kar America mein dandan saazi ki taleem hasil karenge².

West Indies Caribbean ke kai jazeeron aur mulkon ki mushtarka team hai, aur har jazeera apni alag team ke sath first class Cricket khelta hai. School ke zamane mein Headley ko Cricket se ishq ho gaya. Wisden ke mutabiq America jane ke liye un ke kaghazat mein takheer hui, aur isi intezar ke dauran unhein 1928 ke aghaz mein Jamaica aane wali ek English team ke khilaf khilaya gaya. Doosre match mein un ki double century ne faisla kar diya ke woh dandan saaz nahin, cricketer banenge. Is ke bawajood 1928 ke daura-e-England ke liye unhein muntakhab nahin kiya gaya².

Pehli hi series mein dhoom

11 January 1930 ko Bridgetown mein England ke khilaf apne pehle Test mein unhon ne 21 aur 176 runs banaye. Teesre Test mein, jo 21 February 1930 ko Georgetown mein shuru hua, unhon ne 114 aur 112 runs banaye aur ek Test ki donon innings mein century banane wale pehle West Indian balle baaz ban gaye¹³. Yehi match West Indies ki Test tareekh ki pehli fatah thi, jo 289 runs se hasil hui².

Series ka aakhri Test Kingston mein "timeless" tha, yaani is ke liye dinon ki koi hadd muqarrar nahin thi. England ne 849 runs banaye aur West Indies ko jeet ke liye 836 runs ka hadaf diya. Headley ne 390 minute mein 28 chokkon ki madad se 223 runs banaye¹. Baad mein barish aa gayi aur match barabar raha. Is pehli series mein unhon ne 87.80 ki ausat se 703 runs banaye².

1930-31 ke daura-e-Australia mein unhon ne Brisbane mein 102 runs not out aur Sydney mein 146 minute mein 105 runs banaye¹. ESPNcricinfo ke mutabiq Sydney ki is innings ke dauran woh sirf 17 innings mein ek hazar Test runs mukammal kar ke us waqt yeh sang-e-meel teesri taiz tareen raftar se uboor karne wale balle baaz bane. Australia ke mashhoor leg spinner Clarrie Grimmett (Clarrie Grimmett) ne unhein leg side par khelne wala sab se mazboot balle baaz qarar diya jis ke khilaf unhon ne bowling ki thi².

England, Kingston aur Lord’s

1932 mein Jamaica aane wali English team ke khilaf unhon ne 344 runs not out banaye, jo us waqt kisi West Indian ka sab se bara first class score tha. 1933 ke English season mein unhon ne 2320 runs banaye, aur Wisden ne agle baras unhein saal ke behtareen cricketers mein shamil kiya². Isi daure mein Manchester Test mein unhon ne 375 minute batting kar ke 169 runs not out banaye¹.

14 March 1935 ko apne home ground Kingston mein unhon ne England ke khilaf 495 minute mein 30 chokkon ki madad se 270 runs not out banaye, jo un ka sab se bara Test score hai¹. ESPNcricinfo ke mutabiq yeh us waqt kisi West Indian ka sab se bara Test score tha, aur isi innings ne England ke khilaf West Indies ki pehli series jeet ki bunyad rakhi².

Un ka sab se mashhoor karnama June 1939 mein Lord’s mein samne aaya. 24 June 1939 ko shuru hone wale Test mein unhon ne 106 aur 107 runs banaye aur Lord’s ke kisi Test mein do centuries banane wale pehle khilari ban gaye. Wisden ke mutabiq England ke Len Hutton (Len Hutton), jinhon ne isi Mausam mein unhein khelte dekha, kehte thay ke unhon ne kisi balle baaz ko gend itni der se khelte nahin dekha². Isi series mein unhon ne Manchester mein 51 aur Oval mein 65 runs bhi banaye¹.

Jung ke baad

Doosri alami jung ne un ke behtareen baras chheen liye, aur agla Test woh 39 baras ki umar mein khel sake. January 1948 mein Bridgetown Test mein unhon ne West Indies ki qayadat ki; yeh un ki captaini mein wahid Test tha². Isi baras ke aakhir mein unhon ne Bharat ke khilaf ek Test khela¹.

January 1954 mein awami mutalibe par unhein England ke khilaf Kingston Test mein wapas bulaya gaya. ESPNcricinfo ke mutabiq Jamaica ke tamashaiyon ne unhein zabardast daad di, aur English fielders ne peeche hat kar unhein pehla run asani se lene diya, jis par Headley ne topi utar kar shukriya ada kiya². Is aakhri Test mein unhon ne 16 aur 1 run banaya¹.

Aadad o shumar

Makhaz: ESPNcricinfo Statsguru¹, aadad International career ke hain.

Asar aur yadgar

Headley ki 10 Test centuries mein se 8 England ke khilaf thin, aur England ke khilaf un ki ausat 71.23 rahi¹. First class Cricket mein unhon ne 69.86 ki ausat se 9921 runs aur 33 centuries banayin. Wisden ke mutabiq woh darmiyane qad ke, mutawazin aur qadmon ke halke balle baaz thay, back foot par behtareen khelte thay aur shazo nadir jald bazi mein koi shot khelte; gend ko itni durusti se khali jaghon mein bhejte ke un ke liye field lagana mushkil ho jata².

Un ka intiqal 30 November 1983 ko Kingston, Jamaica mein hua. Cricket un ke khandan mein aage bhi chali: un ke bete Ron Headley (Ron Headley) ne 1973 mein West Indies ke liye do Test khele aur pote Dean Headley (Dean Headley) ne England ki taraf se Test Cricket kheli. 2009 mein ICC ne unhein Cricket Hall of Fame mein shamil kiya³. Wisden ke alfaz mein jadeed West Indian teamon ki quwwat mein un ke hisse ko barha chadha kar bayan karna mumkin hi nahin².