Facing up
Many say Jackie Hendriks was the greatest wicketkeeper West Indies ever produced, and he managed the great teams led by Clive Lloyd and Viv Richards
Jackie Hendriks
What inspired you to become a wicketkeeper? In early 1948, Gubby Allen brought the MCC team over to the West Indies. I went down to Sabina Park to watch the Test match. Godfrey Evans was down there practising, and he was so active – bouncing around like a dynamo. He inspired me to go all out to be a keeper.
How was it that you played just 20 Tests? I was the first choice for much of the 1960s. But I broke a finger in my first Test, against India in Trinidad in 1961/62. It was a ball from Wes Hall, which pitched on leg stump and kept going down. It hit the end of my finger. I didn’t realise it was broken at first, but it swelled up big next morning. I put Elastoplast on it and went out to bat, but I could only play certain shots, I had to cut some out. I scored 64, and it ended up being my highest Test score, funnily enough. It was needed – me and Joe Solomon dug us out of a hole. I tried to hit Chandu Borde over extra cover but I didn’t quite get it past him.