'Whos De Big Man Inna Cricket,Courtney!'

Aristotle's adage "master yourself and master the world" might have beenwritten for 38-year-old Courtney Walsh. Long ago he took control of himself and today, instatistical terms at least, is lord of all he surveys. Although the likes of Shane Warneand Muthiah Muralitharan may eclipse the Jamaican’s landmark of 500 Test wickets infuture, Walsh will always stand out, apart from his longevity as a seamer, for what he was – agentleman and a fast bowler.

From the time of Harold Larwood, of Bodyline infame, a fast bowler has had the ball inhis hands and a curse on his lips. Glenn McGrath and Allan Donald are modern day exponentsof the art of "supreme antagonism". What of speedsters, legspinner BillO’Reilly was once asked by a radio commentator what he hated most."Batsmen" the former Aussie great snarled.

But Walsh was cast in a different mould. "Right from the time I started out to bea pace bowler, I believed that like all forms of bowling, this one too was an art. Youneed strength to be a fast bowler, but that strength must come from within. Cursingbatsmen and getting angry every now and then can only destroy your own concentration.However great a batsman, you have to be better than him to get him out and that needs alot of concentration," was his reply to a query on how he could he be so good in histrade without the hostility.

Tales of his gentlemanly ways – like the one when he refused to run out last manSalim Jaffer in the 1987 World Cup match against Pakistan and in the process costing theCaribbeans a semi-final berth -- could fill up pages. But it was not only on the field,but also off it, that Walsh was well mannered. During a three-day match at a small centrewhich did not have a regular cricket ground, Walsh as skipper calmed his teammates saying"Man, let us think of the crowd which has gathered here to see us since earlymorning. We are here to play for them."

Such is the respect Walsh commands that the Australians, renowned for playing theircricket tough, gave an impromptu guard of honour to show their respect when the WestIndian came out to bat for the last time in Australia (at the Sydney Cricket Ground) inJanuary this year. Said offspinner Colin "Funky" Miller "We hadn't plannedit. It was Steve's (Waugh) idea and I think it was a nice little touch for a player who'splayed 16 or 17 years of Test cricket -- I think he deserved something like that."

Walsh’s Test career commenced at Perth in November 1984 against Australia when asa gangly 22-year-old, he was called up as support bowler – someone to bowl into thewind and give the trio of Malcolm Marshall, Joel Garner and Michael Holding a breather.Sixteen years, 129 Tests and 28833 deliveries later Walsh has broken into statisticalterritory that for generations was thought to be out of reach. On the flip side, Walshfinds himself in the record books for his exploits with the bat or rather lack of it.After 129 Tests he has maximum – 41—number of ducks against his name.Nevertheless, it has been a long hard journey to the top which might not have happened hadhis mother had her way.

Born on October 30, 1962, in Kingston, Walsh took to the game at seven when he joinedthe youth programme at the Melbourne club, intending to spin batsmen out. A career incricket was never in the scheme of things for Walsh's mother. She fancied "somethingsolid" like an accountant’s job for her son. But the lad stuck to his task. Atschool Walsh began bowling quicker but still fancied himself as a legspinner. At theExcelsior High School, the ability to bowl fast took him away from his first inclination

Walsh arrived on the domestic cricket competition, Shell Shield, scene in 1983-84. Withthe Benson & Hedges World Series Cup on in Australia & Holding, Garner, Marshall,Davis and Baptiste playing there and with the rebel players banned (which meant Croft,Clarke, Alleyne, Julian and Stephenson) a number of youngsters like Walsh got anopportunity to showcase their talent. Walsh grabbed the chance with both hands taking themost (30) wickets at 20 apiece. This helped him clinch a spot in the West Indies tour toAustralia in 1984-85. He had earlier toured England in 1982 and got inquiries from theEnglish League with whom he started his association in 1983. He continued withGloucestershire in 1984, a relationship which came to an unsavory end in 1998 when thecounty refused to extend his two-year contract citing his non-availability for the season.

The Gloucestershire incident was one of the few "lows" he encountered in acareer which encompassed plenty of "highs". Walsh has been witness to eventsfrom the heady days of the 80s when the all-conquering Windies were on the rampage to thepresent hard times. The West Indian cricketing fortunes might have shown a fluctuatingtrend but Walsh’s bowling has been a constant. From providing support to the likes ofHolding, Marshall and Garner to forming a deadly combine with his recently retirednew-ball partner Curtly Ambrose. His sustained success is testament to his amazing levelsof fitness, skill and determination.

From his first Test scalp of Graeme Wood to the 500^th victim in JacquesKallis, Walsh has been gradually clocking up milestones which have led him to cricketingimmortality. It took him 80 matches to join the 300-wicket club in1995, making him thetenth man to join the elite group. Then he became the leading West Indian wickettaker,overtaking Marshall’s haul of 376 in 1998-99. The next and epochal moment came inMarch last when he surpassed Kapil Dev’s world mark of 434 in his 114^thTest against Zimbabwe. Thereafter it has been a battle against his self in a bid to sethigher goals.

For all his exploits on the field the returns have been far greater for Walsh off it.The "Order of Jamaica", the diplomatic passport with the official designation ofambassador at large, the citation reading "Some men are born great, some havegreatness thrust upon them and some achieve greatness. Courtney Andrew Walsh, through yourskills as a fast bowler, you have achieved greatness as the most successful bowler in thehistory of Test cricket," presented by his Melbourne club, the two poems –"Courtney Walsh" and "Melbourne Man" written in his honour or evenwomen voting him as the sexiest West Indian cricketer are some of the returns the game hasgiven back to its illustrious player. But the man is his humble self. "I try tolisten to my body and work along with it. One of the main things for me is love for thegame and the other trying to do a job for the team. Once I’m enjoying both, it makesthe job much easier."

Walsh does not have much cricket left in him with word doing the rounds that theongoing series against the South Africans will be his last. But till he continues to donthe white flannels, the Caribbeans will be singing "Whos de big man inna cricket,Courtney! Who uh lick down man wicket, Courtney! Who gi we wha we want for we ticket,Courtney! Who hol de flag high straight across the Pacific, Courtney!"