Sonny Ramadhin

If one may have to believe history, then Ramadhin attained his first official name 'Sonny' accidentally. Facts from the past say that Ramadhin's birth certificate had no first name and had simply 'Boy' written on it. However, this first East Indian to have represented West Indies in Test cricket, went on to register his new found name in the the record books in no time. Ramadhin made his Test debut as an off-break bowler after having played only two first-class matches. His name was included in the playing eleven of the all-crucial tour of England in 1950. Less the world knew then, that this youthful, orderly and uncluttered man would go on to become one of the legendary off-break bowlers the game ever produced.

Unique in style, thanks to his prominent shirt-sleeves that were predominantly buttoned at the wrist, Ramadhin could also turn his wrist over to good effect, even though he was primarily an off-spinner. Ramadhin grew illustrious and efficient when he was paired along with the left arm spin of Alf Valentine. The duo bowled long spells for West Indies and went on to become one of the most successful twin-spin attacks.

But, Ramadhin lost his magic after having bowled successful long spells all-throughout his career. He withdrew his services from West Indies and went on to play for the county side of Lancashire, only to find a new home for himself.

Long after his playing days, when fans the world over were debating about the legality of a certain Muttiah Muralitharan’s bowling action, Sonny Ramadhin came out in the open and admitted that there were times during his playing days, when he had consciously chucked, without being spotted by the administrators.