A middle order batsman and off spinner, who was known for his lazy elegance with both bat and ball, Carl Hooper was one of the most talented under-performers the game has ever seen. Making his debut in 1987, Hooper started with a bang making a century in his very second match against India at Calcutta (now Kolkata), but throughout his 15 year career, emerged as a very inconsistent batsman who more often than not failed to deliver to his full potential. That is even more unfortunate because of the high praise he extracted from his peers. The likes of Steve Waugh and Shane Warne rate him as one of the best players in the 1990s, with the former including him in his list of top 100 cricketers of his time.

Hooper was the first cricketer in the world to have scored 5,000 runs, taken 100 wickets, held 100 catches and received 100 caps in both ODIs and Tests, a feat only matched since by South African legend Jacques Kallis. He even led West Indies after coming out of retirement, and the role brought
out the best in him. He averaged 50+ as captain, but a disappointing show at the 2003 World Cup saw him being replaced by Brian Lara. Post retirement, Hooper went on to coach local clubs in Adelaide, Australia, where he lived since the late 1990s.

Then in 2011, Hooper was named as the batting coach at the Sagicor High Performance Center in Barbados.

Interesting fact: He is one of only three players to have scored centuries against 18 different English county sides.

By Karthik Lakshmanan