Curtly Ambrose: West Indies cricketing glory days may be gone for good
Windies dominated the sport in 1980s but have been left behind
Dubai: West Indies’ glory days of the past may never come back, said legendary fast bowler Curtly Ambrose. Ambrose said that the West Indies may be able to be competitive and climb up the International Cricket Council’s rankings again but the team may never be able to dominate world cricket the way they did during his playing days.
“When we were the best team in the world, West Indians all over the globe could walk and boast about how good we were because we were the best, so it’s going to be difficult to see those glory days again. Yes, we can be competitive and climb up the ICC rankings and be a force to be reckoned with again, but those glory days, I don’t think we will see them again,” said Ambrose.
“Most of the youngsters we have now probably don’t quite understand what cricket means to West Indians in the West Indies and abroad because cricket is the only sport that really unites Caribbean people.
“This is no disrespect to the players we have now because we have a couple of guys who have some quality in them and can become great, but what we have to understand is that I don’t think we will ever see those great, exceptional glory days again.”
Ambrose took 405 Test wickets in 98 matches and 225 ODI wickets in 176 matches between 1988 and 2000. He is West Indies’ second highest wicket taker of all time in both formats, behind his famous former bowling partner Courtney Walsh.
“It’s going to be difficult to find another Viv Richards or a (Desmond) Haynes and (Gordon) Greenidge, a Brian Lara, Richie Richardson, you know, a Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, and the list goes on and on, Clive Lloyd. It’s going to be extremely difficult to find those quality players again,” said Ambrose.