|
|
When
the big man from West Indies, Curtly Lindwall Ambrose walked back to the
pavillion after the fifth and final test of the England – West Indies
Series. The large crowd at the stadium, which stood-up in unison to give a
standing ovation, testified the kind of love and attachment, he had
created in the minds of every cricket lover over the years. Curtly
Ambrose who had already announced his retirement from world cricket
represented that genre in which fast bowling was an art. Born in Antigua,
a small island right in the middle of the Carribeans, Ambrose came from
the place of all time cricketing greats like Andy Roberts, Vivian
Richards, Richie Richardson and Larry Gomes. He
grew up in the company of such greats, who took cricket to dizzying
heights. Naturally, the art of fast bowling was imbibed on to him. Bowling
of Ambrose was much more than just speed and strength, it was poetry in
motion, rhythm, accuracy, poetry, and dynamism. The movement of the hand,
the sight of 6 foot frame running towards the popping crease, the facial
reaction after the delivery all were so special to Ambrose that the world
will definitely miss it. The
strength and stamina of Ambrose was matched with unprecedented accuracy. A
factor, which made him one of the most feared bowler in contemporary
cricket. Seldom has any batsman the chance to go after his bowling.
Whether in One-Dayers or Test matches, Accuracy was the Hallmark of
Ambrose. Rarely
can any batsman complain that he has been the victim of any sort of
intimidation by Ambrose. The facial reactions of Ambrose after being hit
by a batsman were never meant to create any sort of pressure on the
batsman, but it gave vent to his seething anger. Unlike many fast bowlers
especially from Pakistan, who use intimidatory tactics like glaring at the
batsman or sometimes uttering a few words, Ambrose never had the need to
adopt such measures. It
is not that Ambrose didn’t have any memorable rivalry with any cricketer
during his career nor was his personality very soft or lacked the killer
instinct. Who could have forgotten the famous Ambrose-Atherton rivalry or
for that matter the rivalry between Ambrose and Steve Waugh. Who
could not have cherished the big-frame of Ambrose running towards the
crease and delivering an express delivery and Atherton with his trademark
concentration hitting it magnificiently? Befittingly Ambrose’s 400th
scalp was Michael Atherton. While
talking recently to a popular sports magazine when asked the way he is
performing, will he defer his plans for retirement? Ambrose said no matter
whether he is bowling well or not, he is holding his own and there has to
come a time when one has to leave and he is doing just that. Indeed, great
words from a magnificent bowler. Whatever
is the opposition, strong or weak, for Ambrose it meant giving his 100
percent always. That is why even after announcing retirement from
international cricket before the start of the England-West Indies Series,
Ambrose performed in the series as if he has to prove a point to the
selectors. Not once throughout the Series there was slackness or lethargy
in his approach. Between
him and another great Courtney Walsh West Indies have bowled 98.4 overs
more than the next best duo of Franklyn Rose and Reon king, conceded 21
runs less and had taken 22 wickets more than them in the just concluded
series. Though Ambrose could not match Walsh in terms of wickets taken,
but he did much more than that. His accuracy restricted the English
batsman. Giving
as little runs as possible was the characteristic of Ambrose’s bowling.
In One-Dayers he played with same tenacity and determination. No matter
whether he was bowling the initial over or the slog over his performance
never dipped. Captains after have relied on him to handle crunch situation
and more often than not he has come out with flying colours. |