Cheap Imitation
I don’t have too many memories of the 1983 World Cup or earlier. I just remember seeing my first test match in 1984 on TV when the fearful Malcolm Marshall was pulverizing Indians. My elder neighbour used to tell me that the West Indies could bowl any batsmen out whenever they wanted. I was baptized into believing that bowling like the West Indies do is the most appealing part of cricket.
I turned myself into a rookie fast bowler, enrolled for a coaching camp. I would bowl like the West Indies do, provided the batsmen batted like Papua New Guinea. What was encouraging was that the senior members of the club started calling me Walsh. I later understood that the nick was not because of my bowling accuracy but rather due to the fact that I did a particularly poor imitation of him in bowling. The next season, Sportstar started the star poster offer with every issue and I remember plastering the wall above my study table with Waqar Wasim, Ambrose and Walsh. Ambrose though was the new heart throb in my life; I wanted to bowl lethal yorkers like he did. He gave way next season to Patrick Patterson who burst onto the International cricket scene much like his bowling action. Accompanied by Bishop who hardly looked devout and the old tall horses, they were a formidable attack. I tried to run in like Patterson with a stooping back and wide eyes, with a run that ended with splayed feet in the crease. The nastier ones in my team also told me that my complexion was just right. Limited success for both him and hence me ended that attempt.
After doing a Mc Dermott and surprise surprise Javagal Srinath I realized that fast bowling was a lot of hard work, especially the imitation part. I graduated to bowling gentle medium pace, a hybrid of Mohinder Amarnath in run up and Dermot Reeve in delivery and nothing great in outcome.
When I see the current West Indian attack, it makes me want to bowl fast again. Ok, lemme see, is Jerome Taylor easier to copy or Fidel Edwards?
I turned myself into a rookie fast bowler, enrolled for a coaching camp. I would bowl like the West Indies do, provided the batsmen batted like Papua New Guinea. What was encouraging was that the senior members of the club started calling me Walsh. I later understood that the nick was not because of my bowling accuracy but rather due to the fact that I did a particularly poor imitation of him in bowling. The next season, Sportstar started the star poster offer with every issue and I remember plastering the wall above my study table with Waqar Wasim, Ambrose and Walsh. Ambrose though was the new heart throb in my life; I wanted to bowl lethal yorkers like he did. He gave way next season to Patrick Patterson who burst onto the International cricket scene much like his bowling action. Accompanied by Bishop who hardly looked devout and the old tall horses, they were a formidable attack. I tried to run in like Patterson with a stooping back and wide eyes, with a run that ended with splayed feet in the crease. The nastier ones in my team also told me that my complexion was just right. Limited success for both him and hence me ended that attempt.
After doing a Mc Dermott and surprise surprise Javagal Srinath I realized that fast bowling was a lot of hard work, especially the imitation part. I graduated to bowling gentle medium pace, a hybrid of Mohinder Amarnath in run up and Dermot Reeve in delivery and nothing great in outcome.
When I see the current West Indian attack, it makes me want to bowl fast again. Ok, lemme see, is Jerome Taylor easier to copy or Fidel Edwards?
Comments
i tried copying him once or twice - the tough part was getting your arms all twisted above your head at the crease...it was such a jumble - i don't know how he did it..