8/10
Brilliant, but slanted
7 July 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Churchill once said, of his memoirs of WW2. "This is not history, this is my case"

The same can be said for Fire in Babylon - it is brilliant, moving and a must watch for anyone who loves the game of cricket. But it is one side's story.

Some of these examples have already been covered by previous reviewers, but I'll add my take :

  • The West Indies were one all with India in '76, when they caught them on an unsafe pitch and basically bowled bodyline. The Indians are no cowards. They held their own in a hostile environment.


  • The traditional bogan VB-fueled abuse at the MCG is not particularly racial. Botham's paternity has been questioned on many occasions, as has Hadlee's supposed inter-species sexual predilictions. To act offended and then half an hour later say "if you cannot stand the heat - get out" is a bit hypocritical.


  • Alvin Kalicharran was not mentioned. No-one would know that he was WI's best batsman in the mid 70s, and captained them when the rest went off to make money on the Packer circus.


  • Which leads to -> there was a bit of Black-Asian tension in the WI in the 70s, and a feeling that some good Asian West Indians were being marginalised by the new regime. Some of those Asians joined the rebel team to South Africa. Maybe they felt "seriously embodied" with their struggling brothers and sisters in Uganda.


  • For the sake of fairness, Tony Greig's grovelling crawl back to the pavilion could have been mentioned - he did publicly admit what an idiot he'd been. He made his amends by helping sign up the West Indies up to WSC thereby getting them the pay they deserved. Went on to become good friends with Michael Holding.


It's a great story, but more Disney than Documentary.
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