Q&A with Sir Andy Roberts

What was the highlight of your career?

I had many highlights during my career between 1974 and 1983. The one that stands out is when the West Indies beat Australia in Australia for the first time, especially because I played a significant role in winning the third test match. Secondly was winning the 1975 World Cup.

What is your childhood memory of playing cricket?

When I was five or six, I used to go to the village and watch what we used to call a ‘ball game’. My mother always used to say, “There’s no future in ball game.” But the passion was deep inside of me. On Sundays, I used to get all my chores done quickly so that on the way to Sunday School, I could stop for a few hours to watch one a game. I was scared of the ball, so I only used to play with a tennis ball and didn’t use the harder ball until I was 16. Not many people could fast bowl a tennis ball, but I could, which certainly helped me later in life.

How do you see the future of West Indies cricket?

We dominated cricket for 15 consecutive years, which hasn’t been done in any team sport before or after. That was because of the love for the game. Today, I think we must start from the grassroots, ensuring that cricket is played in schools so children develop a love of it from a young age.