Carl Llewellyn Hooper

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Carl Hooper is the most gifted of cricketers. A graceful batsman of immense standing yet modest record, he is in turns fantastic and frustrating. Since returning to international cricket with the captaincy in 2001, he has excelled while West Indies have continued to struggle.

Hooper is a curious character, and has been subject to enough analysis to fill a book. At times moody, he does much of his talking with his bat. He is a masterful timer of the ball, and one of the most aesthetically pleasing players of his time. Though he has shots all round the wicket, he is strong behind square on the off side and through mid-wicket. A solid player of pace and spin, he is capable of hitting over the top as well as keeping the ball on the carpet. A brilliant slip fielder, he also bowls useful off-spin which has given him nearly 300 international wickets.

Hooper's tumultuous international career began in his 21st year. After three impressive ODIs in New Zealand, he toured India, and hit 37 in his first innings in Mumbai. More was to follow in Calcutta, as he struck a fluent century, showing a will to attack the spinners.

It would be another 33 innings before he recorded his second Test century. Hooper would often be dismissed between 30 and 85 to a loose shot after looking as though he invented batting. Faith in the Guyanan right-hander was repaid with another century on the sub-continent, this time against Pakistan in 1990 against a young Wasim and Waqar.

Hooper's second tour to England, in 1991, was mixed. He hit a hundred at Lord's, but otherwise struggled. After subsequently failing to master the Australians, Hooper needed a big score. He hit his first hundred at home against Pakistan, with a quick-fire 178 in Antigua. The BBC described the knock as "dazzling".

In one-day cricket, the Guyanan remained solid, hitting strings of half-centuries. By now the world had realised his talent, which was tempered by an infuriating predilection for throwing his wicket away. He hit consecutive Test centuries, against England and Australia in 1995, and a responsible ton against India in 1996, in one of the dullest series in the West Indies.

Hooper emerged with a little credit from West Indies' disastrous tour to South Africa in 1998, and after coming back to the side for Australia's visit in 1998, Hooper decided to take a break from the game.

It was a natural assumption that this was the end of Carl Llewellyn Hooper. He spent some time in Australia, and announced his retirement before the 1999 World Cup. It appeared that one of the most able players of his generation would be remembered for his mediocre record. Hooper had spent several seasons with Kent, where his flashes of brilliance were tempered by all too often failures, leaving the members baffled.

Talk of a Hooper comeback started five months after he had "retired". Sure enough, Hooper did return, but not until 2001. The decision of the WICB, first to select him, and then to hand him the captaincy of a beleaguered West Indies, was greeted with astonishment. Michael Holding was so infuriated that he refused to commentate on the series, where Hooper was praised despite a 2-1 loss to South Africa. He hit four half-centuries in the series, without converting one to a century.

The West Indies tour to Zimbabwe and Kenya would be more successful. Hooper led his side to unexpected victory in the Coca-Cola Cup, then smashed 149 to aid a comprehensive Test defeat of Zimbabwe.

Given the current state of West Indian cricket, an abject display in Sri Lanka was not unexpected. Muttiah Muralitharan spun the home team to a 3-0 series victory, with Hooper struggling with the bat and taking criticism for the performance of his team.

Personally, Hooper's greatest day was still to come. He hit 233 in front of his home crowd at Georgetown. It was his first century in Guyana in nine attempts, and he would star in the remainder of the series with India. He hit two further hundreds in the successful series, taking his tally of Test tons against India to five.