Ever shared something on social media with complete confidence, only to wish you could take it back once the world weighed in? That is exactly how famous cricket historian David Frith felt when India won the 1983 cricket World Cup — legend goes that he was made to “eat his own words”, literally.
Before the start of the 1983 World Cup, Frith had published an article in the Wisden Cricket Monthly previewing the chances of all teams participating in the tournament. He hailed West Indies as the firm favourites, England and Pakistan strong contenders, but gave India no chance.
Frith even went as far as to write that India should not earn a direct qualification to the World Cup. He suggested that they should be made to participate in the qualifying tournament with the associate nations like Zimbabwe and the Netherlands.
Frith cited India’s dismal run in the previous two editions of the World Cup for his argument. India had won only one match — against East Africa — and in 1979, even lost to Sri Lanka, who weren’t among ICC full member nations.
However, months before the World Cup, India had defeated the two-time defending champions West Indies in a bilateral series played in the Caribbean.
As fate would have it, India won the 1983 World Cup defeating West Indies in the final. Following that, a reader of the Wisden Cricket Monthly — Man Singh from New Jersey — wrote a letter citing Frith’s disparaging words.
In the September 1983 edition, Wisden published this letter in their “letters to the editor” column. The letter suggested that Frith shouldshall “eat his words.”
Frith and the publication were both game. They published with it a photo of the historian putting a piece of paper, on which the previewing article was published, in his mouth.
