The West Indies team has always been known for producing some of the finest bowlers in the history of cricket. Here, we take a look at the five greatest West Indies bowlers who were simply too good for the batters:
Malcolm Marshall
Malcolm Marshall was one of the greatest fast bowlers to have played for the West Indies. A right-arm pacer, Marshall had an exceptional career that spanned from 1978 to 1992. He picked up a whopping 376 wickets in just 81 test matches at an average of 20.94.
Marshall was known for his ability to swing the ball both ways and consistently maintaining a good line and length. He was also equally adept at bowling quick bouncers and yorkers, which made him a complete package.
Courtney Walsh
Courtney Walsh was another great fast bowler who terrorized batsmen all around the world. Walsh had an incredibly long career that spanned from 1984 to 2001. He picked up a record 519 wickets in 132 test matches at an average of 24.44.
Walsh was known for his accuracy and his ability to extract natural movement off the pitch. He was also known for bowling with great stamina and could bowl long spells without losing his accuracy.
Joel Garner
Joel Garner was a towering figure and his height of 6 feet 8 inches made him an intimidating presence for any batsman. A right-arm fast bowler, Garner had a unique action and was known for his ability to extract natural bounce from the pitch.
In his 58-match test career, he picked up 259 wickets at an average of 20.97. He was the highest wicket-taker in the 1979 World Cup, where he helped the West Indies to lift the trophy for the second time.
Michael Holding
Michael Holding, or ‘Whispering Death’ as he was famously called, was one of the most graceful and lethal bowlers to have ever played the game. Holding had a smooth run-up, a beautiful action and boasted of a lethal bouncer. In 60 test matches, he picked up 249 wickets at an average of 23.68. Holding’s finest moment was arguably in the 1981 Kingston Test against England, where he picked up figures of 8/92 and bowled one of the most devastating spells of fast bowling.
Curtly Ambrose
Curtly Ambrose was another towering figure and his height of 6 feet 7 inches made him an equally intimidating presence as Joel Garner. A right-arm fast bowler, Ambrose had an awkward bowling action and could generate serious pace and bounce. In his 98-match test career, he picked up 405 wickets at an average of 20.99. His best bowling figures of 8/45 came against England in 1990.
In conclusion, the West Indies team has always been known for producing some of the greatest fast bowlers of all time, and the five bowlers mentioned above were absolute pioneers in their field. They were not only great bowlers but also fiercely competitive and mentally strong, and their contribution to the sport will be remembered for a long time to come.