Dehradun: West Indian pace legend Courtney Walsh doesn’t foresee another one like him or Curtly Ambrose coming along in international cricket but neither does he believe that fast bowling is on the decline.
“You are not going to get bowlers like me and Curtly anymore because we are long gone, retired,” Walsh told this agency in an interview when asked about his legendary partnership with the lanky Antiguan.
“The new generation will create their own stuff, bring their own technique. When I played, I used what Wesley Hall and Andy Roberts taught me. It keeps evolving. If you can get senior players to pass on their tips and use it with what is happening now, you will only be a better bowler,” the amicable pacer informed.
The exponential growth of slam-bang T20 cricket has forced the fast bowlers to come up with a plethora of variations. The pacers end up using those same tricks even in the longest format, but Walsh asserted that speed and accuracy remain the most potent weapons.
“All aspects of the game are evolving. So, I don’t think fast bowling is on the decline. You just have to combine the old school fast bowling with the new stuff that is happening now to keep improving your game. But you must remember that pace and accuracy is the most important aspects. You can’t compromise on those,” Walsh, who is the interim coach of Bangladesh, said.
Among the current generation, Walsh is impressed most by English pacers. “I don’t like naming bowlers I like but I am impressed with a lot of stuff that is happening with England fast bowlers. It is good for cricket. Fast bowling remains important in all forms of the game,” he stated.
Walsh will be working with Bangladesh for at least until another year and his main focus is on building a pool of pacers besides managing their workload.
Citing the example of lead pacer Mustafizur Rahman, who pulled out of the T20 series against Afghanistan due to the injury he suffered in the preceding IPL, Walsh felt the bowlers need to prioritise their workload.
“His injury is a cause of concern. The second time he has come back from IPL with an injury. We got to make him fitter and stronger. He is young and talented. It (Rahman pulling out) was frustrating because we did not know about the injury,” he said.
Bowling stats
Tests -132 Wickets 519 Best Bowling 7/37
ODIs – 205 Wickets 227 Best bowling 5/1
The variations that people talk about now were always there. Slow and quick Yorkers, Andy Roberts had two varieties of bouncers. You will only be a good bowler if you use them judiciously
Courtney Walsh