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| April 4, 2003 | Friday | Safar 1, 1424 |
Torrid time awaits Lara and company
GEORGETOWN, April 3: There was a time when West Indies fast bowlers ruled the cricket roost. The names Andy Roberts, Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall became synonymous with quality pace-bowling, terrorising every opposition team at home and away.
More recently Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh produced stellar careers at the back end of a golden age for the team which began in the 1970s.
However, over the last few years dominance in that department has shifted squarely over to Australia.
Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie and Brett Lee are now three of the best fast bowlers in the world.
Lee is easily regarded as the fastest of the trio, consistently hitting close to 100mph with his deliveries.
His efforts with the ball will receive another test in the West Indies with Australia to compete in his first-ever series on the islands.
So far in his Test career, Lee has taken over 100 wickets on various types of pitches.
And he has already said he is looking forward to the bounce that will be there on a plate on some of the Caribbean pitches.
Another legendary West Indies paceman, Colin Croft, is a big admirer of the Australian, although he believes that Lee still has a lot to learn from the game.
“I rate Brett Lee very highly,” Croft said. “But I do think his team-mate Glenn McGrath is streets ahead of him because he has everything — control, pace and he’s highly productive.
“Lee is more like a Jeff Thomson. If he plays on the right type of pitch and in right type of mood then he’ll get six for 12.
“But on other days when the pitch doesn’t suit him then he’ll probably get no wickets for 95.
“Lee is relatively young and has picked up injuries trying to bowl to quickly, but once he matures he will become a very, very good bowler, but injuries will have to be avoided.”
As regards to how Lee will cope on the pitches in the West Indies, Croft is adamant that the New South Wales player will perform well.
But he also cautioned that the surfaces are not as lively as many would assume. “There’s a fallacy that the pitches are quick. In fact, they’re not quick at all.
“The liveliest pitches are perhaps in Grenada and St Lucia and that’s about it. The rest are good but not as quick like Perth and like what Sabina Park used to be 20 years ago.”
“But when the West Indies were at their best they won series in Australia, India, Pakistan and England. That’s four different conditions where we ran out victors using fast bowlers.
“When you’re a mediocre player then that’s when you struggle on different pitches. Brett Lee won’t have a problem bowling in the Caribbean.”—PPI
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