Supercat: The Authorised Biography of Clive Lloyd

This is no kiss and tell biography.

For any cricket fan who grew up in the 1970s Clive Lloyd was a superstar: stunning batsman, electric fielder and formidable captain of a dominant West Indies team.

Simon Lister has written the story of his career superbly: growing up in newly-independent British Guiana, nearly losing his eyesight as a schoolboy, growing up fast aged 14 when his father died, establishing himself against the odds in the first class game and going on to greatness with Lancashire and the West Indies.

Reading Supercat is to re-live the first World Cup and Lloyd's magnificent 100 in the final; the summer of 1976 and Tony Greig's promise to make the West Indies grovel; the advent of World Series Cricket and Kerry Packer, who brought cricketers into the modern era while Colonels spluttered into their gin; the second world cup win in 1979 and lots more besides.

Lloyd has an acute sense of history and of destiny, of West Indies cricket belonging to the people of the West Indies. Like all great teams they worked unbelievably hard to make it look easy. Lloyd was at the heart of that ethic and the book gives the inside track on what made the West Indies so good for so long.

Refreshingly, Lloyd's vision is undimmed at the end. No rheumy bluster about young people earning too much money but a straightforward desire to help make the team successful again.

Buy Supercat if only to read Mike Brearley's revised view of Lloyd's captaincy. And buy it if only to check out the West Indies squad photo from 1984. Awesome team. Awesome book.

The very essence of a cricketing great is revealed (2/2 people found this helpful)

To anyone who has followed international and county cricket over the last four decades or so, this authorised biography of Clive Lloyd offers pure pleasure from cover to cover.
Unlike so many accounts of famous lives, it engages in no slavish recounting of multiple triumphs. It refers to them, naturally, but rather than dwell on tiresome detail, it concentrates perceptively on revealing the very essence of one of the most significant figures in top-level sport during the modern era.
Lloyd was a majestic batsman and an inspirational leader of the West Indies throughout a glorious period of their history, when they dominated the Test scene and matured into arguably the finest team of all time. Meanwhile he illuminated the county scene with Lancashire, whom he served so mightily between 1968 and 1986, becoming a cult hero in the process.
Here he emerges as a fascinating character, strong and wise, exuding dignity, integrity and common sense, but also a fierce pride in his own achievements and those of his fellow West Indians. He is modest, yes, demonstrably a good egg, but he knows his own worth, too.
For instance, he takes vehement issue with critics who maligned him for making the most of his fearsome stable of fast bowlers, and he despises the patronising 'calypso cricket' tag which, he is convinced, fails chronically to reflect the reality that he and his team of high-achievers were dedicated professionals who thought deeply about their work.
Reading his story - so skilfully written by Simon Lister, who draws on extensive interviews with Lloyd himself - it is easy to see why 'Supercat' rejoiced in the loyalty of his players, the stellar and diverse likes of Viv Richards, Michael Holding and company, and how he earned the respect of the entire cricket world.
Since his retirement as a player he has remained in the game, both as manager of the West Indies and as a Test referee, so he is eminently qualified to address all the controversial issues which have faced his sport over the last 40 years. Without straying into salacious territory, he doesn't shrink from doing so.
This is a marvellous book, and I recommend it thoroughly.

Supercat: The Authorised Biography of Clive Lloyd

Simon Lister

Reader Reviews:

A cricket lover's delight (2/2 people found this helpful)

The very essence of a cricketing great is revealed (2/2 people found this helpful)

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