NEW DELHI: On the opening day of the second and final Test against India at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi, the West Indies players donned black armbands as a heartfelt tribute to their former all-rounder, Bernard Julien. This respectful gesture honored Julien, who sadly passed away on October 4 at the age of 75.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) confirmed the team’s gesture, stating, “West Indies players are wearing black armbands on day one of the second Test against India as a tribute to former player Bernard Julien who passed away last week. All-rounder Julien was a member of the 1975 World Cup-winning team.”
Bernard Julien was a pivotal figure during the West Indies’ dominant ‘golden era’ in the 1970s. Throughout his career, he played 24 Tests, accumulating 866 runs and taking 50 wickets. He also featured in 12 One Day Internationals (ODIs), where he claimed 18 wickets and scored 86 runs. Most notably, Julien was an integral part of the historic West Indies squad that secured victory in the inaugural Men’s ODI World Cup in 1975, under the astute leadership of Clive Lloyd.
During that memorable World Cup campaign, Julien delivered impressive performances, including figures of 4 for 20 against Sri Lanka and 4 for 27 in the semi-final against New Zealand. In the championship final at Lord’s, he contributed a crucial 26 runs off 37 balls, helping the West Indies overcome Australia to clinch their first-ever World Cup title.
Beyond international cricket, Julien also enjoyed a successful eight-year spell with the English county side Kent from 1970 to 1977, where he showcased his all-round capabilities by taking 336 wickets and scoring 3,296 runs across 179 appearances. His distinguished international career concluded after he participated in the controversial rebel West Indies tour to apartheid South Africa in 1982–83.