Sylvester Clarke Profile, Career, Causes of Death, Speed and Stats
Sylvester Clarke was a fast bowler from Barbados who played international cricket for the West Indies during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Born on December 11, 1954, in Barbados. From a young age, he exhibited exceptional talent in cricket. His raw pace and aggression on the field set him apart from other players. The 6,2” tall fast bowler embarks on his journey to international cricket with impressive performances in domestic matches, grabbing selectors' attention. His ability to generate bounce and pace made him a formidable opponent. Sylvester Clarke’s domestic records include numerous five-wicket hauls, showcasing his dominance in the regional cricket circuit.
Sylvester Clarke made his international debut against Australia at Georgetown in 1978. His arrival on the international stage was nothing short of spectacular. Clarke's fiery bowling in his debut series against Australia troubled even the best batsmen. He quickly established himself as a key player in the West Indies bowling attack, known for his aggressive style and lethal bouncers.
One of Clarke’s most memorable performances came during the 1979 World Series Cricket. He was instrumental in West Indies' victory, taking crucial wickets at vital moments. Clarke’s ability to deliver key performances in pressure situations was a testament to his skill and mental toughness. His performance in the series is still remembered as one of the finest by a fast bowler.
Sylvester Clarke is remembered as one of the most fearsome fast bowlers of his era, contributing significantly to the legacy of West Indies cricket.
Alan Kourie recalls that Clarke, during the unofficial West Indies 1983 rebel tour, recorded speeds between 98 mph and 101 mph by two South African police officers testing out a new automobile speed radar gun who was present at Johannesburg ground.
Despite his success, Clarke’s career was not without challenges. He faced numerous injuries that kept him out of the game for extended periods of time. Additionally, his aggressive behavior on the field sometimes led to controversies. Clarke’s infamous argument with an Australian fan during a test match is one of such incident that highlighted his fiery temperament.
Another incident happened in Pakistan when he was involved in an unfortunate incident in the final Test at Multan that brought him a two-match suspension for the subsequent home series against England. Showered with a volley of oranges and bottles from the crowd, he reacted by tossing back a brick, used as a boundary marker. It struck and seriously injured a student leader on the stand.
Clarke’s impact on West Indies cricket is undeniable. He was part of a legendary fast-bowling quartet that dominated world cricket in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Clarke’s aggression and skill inspired a generation of fast bowlers. His legacy lives on in the archives of cricket history, celebrated for his contributions to the game.
It was not that he relied on only pace and bounce. Once the
Sylvester Clarke made his international debut against Australia at Georgetown in 1978. His arrival on the international stage was nothing short of spectacular. Clarke's fiery bowling in his debut series against Australia troubled even the best batsmen. He quickly established himself as a key player in the West Indies bowling attack, known for his aggressive style and lethal bouncers.
One of Clarke’s most memorable performances came during the 1979 World Series Cricket. He was instrumental in West Indies' victory, taking crucial wickets at vital moments. Clarke’s ability to deliver key performances in pressure situations was a testament to his skill and mental toughness. His performance in the series is still remembered as one of the finest by a fast bowler.
Sylvester Clarke is remembered as one of the most fearsome fast bowlers of his era, contributing significantly to the legacy of West Indies cricket.
Alan Kourie recalls that Clarke, during the unofficial West Indies 1983 rebel tour, recorded speeds between 98 mph and 101 mph by two South African police officers testing out a new automobile speed radar gun who was present at Johannesburg ground.
Despite his success, Clarke’s career was not without challenges. He faced numerous injuries that kept him out of the game for extended periods of time. Additionally, his aggressive behavior on the field sometimes led to controversies. Clarke’s infamous argument with an Australian fan during a test match is one of such incident that highlighted his fiery temperament.
Another incident happened in Pakistan when he was involved in an unfortunate incident in the final Test at Multan that brought him a two-match suspension for the subsequent home series against England. Showered with a volley of oranges and bottles from the crowd, he reacted by tossing back a brick, used as a boundary marker. It struck and seriously injured a student leader on the stand.
Clarke’s impact on West Indies cricket is undeniable. He was part of a legendary fast-bowling quartet that dominated world cricket in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Clarke’s aggression and skill inspired a generation of fast bowlers. His legacy lives on in the archives of cricket history, celebrated for his contributions to the game.
It was not that he relied on only pace and bounce. Once the
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00:00Welcome to the another video of Cricket Thrill.
00:03Sylvester Clarke was a fast bowler from Barbados
00:06who played international cricket for the West Indies
00:09during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
00:12Sylvester Clarke was born on December 11, 1954 in Barbados.
00:17From a young age, he exhibited exceptional talent in cricket.
00:22His raw pace and aggression on the field set him apart from other players.
00:26Remarkable achievement marked Sylvester Clarke's domestic career.
00:30Playing for Barbados, he consistently delivered match-winning performances.
00:34His ability to generate bounce and pace made him a formidable opponent.
00:40Sylvester Clarke's domestic records include numerous five cricket calls,
00:44showcasing his dominance in the regional cricket circuit.
00:48Sylvester Clarke made his international debut against Australia at Georgetown in 1978.
00:54His arrival on the international stage was nothing short of spectacular.
00:59Sylvester Clarke's fiery bowling in his debut series against Australia
01:03probed even the best batsman.
01:06He quickly established himself as a key player in the West Indies bowling attack,
01:11known for his aggressive style and lethal bouncers.
01:14One of Sylvester Clarke's most memorable performances came during the 1979 World Series cricket.
01:22He was instrumental in West Indies' victory, taking crucial wickers at vital moments.
01:28Sylvester Clarke's ability to deliver key performances in pressure situations
01:33was a testament to his skills and mental toughness.
01:36His performance in the series is still remembered as one of the finest by any fast bowler.
01:41Sylvester Clarke is remembered as one of the most fearsome fast bowlers of his era,
01:46contributing significantly to the legacy of the West Indies cricket.
01:51Alan Corey recalls that Sylvester Clarke during the unofficial West Indies 1983
01:57rambled towards South Africa, recorded speeds between 98 mph and 101 mph
02:05by two South African police officers testing out a new automobile speed radar gun
02:10who was present at Johannesburg ground.
02:13Despite his success, Sylvester Clarke's career was not without challenges.
02:18He faced numerous injuries that kept him out of the game for extended periods.
02:23Additionally, his aggressive behaviour on the field sometimes led to controversies.
02:28Sylvester Clarke, in famous arguments with an Australian fan,
02:32during a test match is one of such incidents that highlighted his fiery temperament.
02:38Another incident happened in Pakistan when he was involved in an unfortunate incident
02:44in the final test at Multan that brought him a two-match suspension
02:48for the subsequent home series against England.
02:51He was showered with a volley of oranges and bottles from the crowd.
02:55He reacted by tossing back a brick used as a boundary marker.
02:59It struck and seriously injured a student leader on the stands.
03:03Sylvester Clarke's impact on West Indies cricket is undeniable.
03:07He was part of the legendary fastballing quarter
03:10that dominated world cricket in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
03:16Sylvester Clarke's aggression and skill inspired a generation of fastballers.
03:20His legacy lives on in the archive of cricket history,
03:24celebrated for his contribution to the game.
03:27Few fastballers could bowl bouncers as lethal as Sylvester Clarke did.
03:31It was not the normal short pitch ball that sailed past your head.
03:36It often rose steeply off a ground length at an unusual pace,
03:40often to hit the best man and even if the best man somehow managed to evade the monster,
03:46his confidence would have been shattered by the time the Sylvester Clarke
03:50was on his way back to the bowling mall.
03:53It was not that he relied on only pace and bounce.
03:56Once the best man was shaped up, the next ball would often be a screaming Yorker
04:01aimed at the toes or a pitch of delivery.
04:04That moved away at the last moment to take the edge or jack back to crash into the timber.
04:09Even the greatest of best men feared him.
04:12Lesser best men did not stand a chance.
04:14There were heavily praised from all grades.
04:17In the mid-1980s, Gary Sobers had called Sylvester Clarke the fastest contemporary bowler.
04:24David Gower had made it quite clear that he had not faced anybody faster than Clarke.
04:30Andrew Richards had admitted that Sylvester Clarke was the only bowler he had felt uncomfortable batting against.
04:38Sylvester Clarke's cricket career was marked by exceptional talent,
04:42fires, competitiveness and memorable performances.
04:46Despite facing challenges, he left permanent marks on the cricket history.
04:50Sylvester Clarke played 11 test matches for the Western Days,
04:54taking 42 wickets at an average of 27.85,
04:58and participated in 10 One Day Internationals,
05:01capturing 13 wickets at an average of 31.84.
05:05In his prolific first-class career, he played 238 matches,
05:09gathering 942 wickets at an impressive average of 19.52,
05:15with the best of 8 for 62, including 59 times 5-wicket calls and 10 times 10 wickets in a match.
05:23He also played 250 listing matches, captured 364 wickets,
05:28with the best of 6 for 31, including 6 5-wicket calls.
05:32His stats are remarkable by any standards.
05:35His career was marked by his raw pace and intimidating performance on the field,
05:40making him one of the most feared bowlers of his time.
05:44You know Barbados, an island where cricket is more a way of life than a game,
05:48was already in a state of shock from the successive death of two of its finest players,
05:53Malcolm Marshall and Sir Bernard Hunt, in 1999.
05:57When Sylvester Clarke collapsed and died at his home in Christchurch on December 4, 1999,
06:03he would have been 45 on December 11.
06:06His cause of death is a heart attack.
06:08Three weeks earlier, he had been one of the hundreds of cricketers saying their final goodbye at Malcolm Marshall's funeral.
06:15If you like this video, please comment, share and subscribe. Thank you very much.