Three of the finest cricketers the world has ever seen—Jeff Dujon, Malcom Marshall, and Sir Vivian Richards—announced their retirement from the sport on August 12, 1991. When these three played, there used to be complete devastation since their names instilled dread in the hearts of the enemy. The trio’s stats is inspirational, influencing and daring.
Fans have seen greats come and go, inspire all with their skills, talents and performances, but West Indies players had a certain amount of class to their game. Players who dominated the 80’s, Dujon, Marshall and Richards announced their Test retirement together after playing their last match for West Indies.
At the Kennington Oval in London, the trio faced off in their final Test match against England. The final Test of the five-match series was won by England, resulting in a 2-2 tie for the overall series. The trio said goodbye to Test cricket, leaving records for the following generation to shatter.
Sir Vivian Richards was a gentleman and an excellent batsman with a swaggerous batting style. A combination of aggression and lethal batting displays that would put the opposition in disarray. When the going got tough, Richards was not a guy to back down; instead, he would let his bat do the talking. Poor bowlers received just punishment, and the only duty of the fielders was to retrieve the ball from the boundary rope. Richards never wore a helmet, which contributed to his swagger and made him a genuine fan favourite.
Richards scored 8,540 runs in 121 Test matches during the course of his career, which lasted from 1974 to 1991. This total included 24 centuries, three double centuries, and 45 half centuries, with an average of 50.24.
Malcom Marshall, one of Test cricket’s most highly regarded bowlers. Although his activities were criticised for being too open, they used techniques that may shatter wickets. Marshall was a formidable opponent for any batsman he faced, whether they were swinging in or out. Marshall was a master of all trades, from terrifying bouncers to earth-shattering legcutters on dusty surfaces.
Marshall participated in 81 Test matches during the course of his illustrious career, taking 376 wickets—including 22 fifers and four ten-wicket hauls—and scoring 1,810 runs.
Jeffery, Peter Leroy Dujon, also known as Jeff Dujon to everyone, was one of the best wicketkeepers for the West Indies because of how fast the Windies bowlers used to bowl, making it difficult to grab balls or take catches. Dujon was a useful lower-order batsman in addition to the gloves. Rod Marsh served as Dujon’s primary influence, leading him to model his dismissals after both Marsh and Pakistan’s Wasim Bari. Dujon made up for being shorter than the majority of the West Indies team with his amazing athleticism with the gloves.
In 81 games for West Indies over the course of a ten-year career, Dujon had 272 dismissals with the glove. Dujon has participated in 169 ODIs and 81 Test matches throughout his remarkable career.
The Caribbean has yet to fully recover from their retirement because it put a stop to the West Indies’ hegemonic position in cricket. In terms of performances, the trio set the bar high in the 1980s. Marshall was tearing apart wickets with his fierce pace while Dujon and Richards were scorching and making their statements with the bat.