Bowling a storm

D. P. PRASHANT

When Sarfraz Nawaz, the Pakistani seamer, was at the peak of his career, a young man called Imran Khan made his debut for Pakistan, against England in England. It wasn't exactly a fairy tale start to what turned out to be a brilliant career. Imran took only one wicket in the whole match and sprayed the ball all over the place. Sarfraz, an established bowler and scarred by many a battle, took the embarrassed young teenager under his wing for three years and taught him the tricks of the trade. Imran, eager, ambitious and hungry, gobbled up all the advice and help and worked so hard, punishing himself so severely that his formative years as a Test bowler made Uncle Tom's life look crushy in comparison.

As Sarfraz's career began to decline, Imran's career began. He became a hero, a match-winner and an icon. Sure, he had the talent, the dedication and a passion for the game, but Sarfraz's tutelage was invaluable and something without which he would have surely struggled. Imran, despite subsequent ego-clashes and legal disputes with Sarfraz, acknowledges the importance of Sarfraz's guidance in moulding his career. The story doesn't end there.

After Safraz's retirement, Imran became the patriarch and became the self-appointed tutor to all the young fast bowlers who made their debuts during his captaincy. Wasim and Waqar benefitted from the fruits of his experience but stepped out of the shadow of his personality and presence. Imran retired and Wasim became captain and president of The Fast Bowler's Club after quelling Waqar Younis. The current crop of Pakistani fast bowlers (Akhtar, Mahmood, Razzaq) have had their talents distilled by Akram.

While there is a Wasim Akram, who is willing to teach, there is also a Shoaib Akhtar, ready, willing, good enough to learn, and talented enough to lift his performance. It follows as naturally that as Wasim and Waqar age, Akhtar, Mahmood and Razzaq are there to take over.

In stark contrast to the Pakistani scenario is the Caribbean cricket scene. Of the 36 English wickets to fall in the first two tests of the England/ West Indies series, Walsh and Ambrose have taken 24. Walsh (38) and Ambrose (37) have accounted for two thirds of the total number of English scalps. They bowl more overs than anyone else in the team. They have been terrorising batsmen for more than a decade now, and must surely feel a pang of jealousy when they think of their contemporaries in Pakistan, namely Wasim and Waqar.

The worrying statistic for a West Indian cricket fan is that the bowling load on Walsh and Ambrose has been increasing over the past five years. That they have shown themselves to be up to the challenge of remaining potent destructive forces is ample proof of their dedication, fitness, skill and temperament.

Suddenly the West Indies, who seemed to produce fast bowlers by the dozen until a few years ago, find that the Fast Bowler Factory has broken down.

Curtly Ambrose has decided to call it a day at the end of this series. He is obviously a tired man. One would suspect that he is fed up of bowling as accurately as a machine only for the "support seamer" to give easy runs away at the other end. It will be a sad day for West Indian cricket, when Ambrose packs up his kit for the final time.

It is unfortunate that after Ambrose announced that the ongoing series against England would be his last, the West Indies' captain has been trying to talk him out of his decision. Adams' plea to Ambrose also shows his lack of faith in his second string - something which an England batsman would be gleeful about. He would know that if he saw off Walsh and Ambrose, the other bowlers would not pose too much of a problem.

What about Courtney Walsh? The Jamaican Giant has gone past Kapil Dev and has made a place for himself in the history books. Yet he continues, motivated by some very strong force to continue playing with the zest and relish for the game of a 21- year- old. He does not seem to mind that he and Ambrose toil hard for what is, most of the time, a losing cause.

I am sure that these two great sportsmen would be only too happy to pass on the benefits of their vast experience and wonderful skills. For a Dronacharya to become a famous teacher, there must be a student of the calibre of an Arjuna. The Windies' talent cupboard is as bare as Old Mother Hubbard's. Is this the fault of the Caribbean system? Or is it just a wicket concoction to bring West Indian supporters down to earth after their two decades of glory?

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Section  : Features
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