Walsh pitches in for pacers
Dehradun, June 3: 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 said in an interview when asked about his legendary partnership with the lanky Antiguan.
“The new generation will create its own stuff, bring its own technique. When I played, I used what Wesley Hall and Andy Roberts taught me. It keeps evolving. If you can get those senior players to pass on their tips and use it with what is happening now, you will only be a better bowler,” he reckoned.
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 where sheer speed and accuracy remain the most potent weapons. Walsh, who formed one of the most celebrated pace bowling partnerships alongside Ambrose, says a modern-day fast bowler represents the constant evolution of the game.
“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,” Walsh, who is the interim coach of Bangladesh, said.
The 55-year-old Jamaican feels subtle variations were always part of the game and the only difference is that the bowlers nowadays rely heavily on them. “We had slower balls, slower yorkers, quicker yorkers back in the day also. Technology is showing it (variations) more now,” he said.
“It is good for the game with those variations coming but still you got to manage the consistency and strike the right balance between old-school fast bowling and current day innovations. It is always going to be a challenge,” added the owner of 776 international wickets.
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.”
— PTI