WICB Sends SOS For Walsh
Tue, Feb 17, '04
At the request of head coach Gus Logie and captain Brian Lara, world record holder Courtney Walsh has been petitioned to assist in the upcoming camp for the 2004 Cable and Wireless Cricket series. The 'Big Man in Cricket' is finally being called on to inject some life into a bowling attack that is seriously in need of intervention.
Walsh, who holds the record for most wickets in Test cricket, is being asked to provide technical and tactical support with the bowling. It is not clear how this will affect the job of Kenny Benjamin who is the bowling coach, or even if Benjamin still holds that post.
One would think it strange to have a specialist bowling coach and still have a consultant being called in to assist with bowling. However, there have been no reports so far to confirm whether Benjamin will continue or not.
The camp will begin in Jamaica from March 4-10. It has been initially decided that there will be a squad of 16 named to assemble in Jamaica on March 3 and, on March 8, there will be the announcement of the 13-man squad from which the 11 will be picked to start in the first Test on March 11. The Cable and Wireless series launch will also take place on Monday March 8 prior to the announcement of the 13-man squad.
The details of Walsh's inclusion into the training staff have not yet been finalized, as negotiations are still taking place. Walsh, who retired from cricket after 132 tests in 2001 at the end of the home series against South Africa, played Test cricket for 17 years and was regarded as one of the most durable players in Test cricket. He ended a legendary career with 519 wickets at an average of 24.44 apiece. In his last few years he relied on control and variety instead of pace and was extremely successful bagging 93 wickets in his last 20 tests.
By this time he was way past 35 years old and continued to defy the odds and silence the critics, some of who had called for his resignation many years before he finally retired, still on a high after becoming the first and only bowler to pass the 500 mark.
Fans who watched his last Series against England in 2000 will remember the deadly slower ball that he used to totally baffle Graham Thorpe, trapping him LBW on middle stump, and celebrating, barely even turning around to look at the umpire. As if that was not enough he had the same batsman out in similar fashion later in the series.
No doubt Ambassador Walsh will have a few words of wisdom to pass on to the young bowlers. He could certainly tell them a thing or two about fitness, and how to avoid injury since this has been one of our major concerns of late. One can only hope that his stint, however short it might be, will be beneficial and successful to the bowlers that are chosen to go into battle against England.