they're only 19

and Barath and Akmal both centuries on debut ...

Wonderful news for Test cricket.

Aye, now we need a few 19 year old bowlers to get excited about.

Aamer?
Afridi?

Aamer Afridi not.

Making their debuts at 19 makes them late developers by Pakistani standards... it's just if you're English or Australian that you get used to players not getting an opportunity until their mid-20s or later (well, I suppose we have to let them serve their qualifying period after they leave Yarpland...)

Basil wrote:Aye, now we need a few 19 year old bowlers to get excited about.

Sage!!!!

Some English ones preferably

Jordan and Meaker

I know there older than 19, but they've got something - or did in the case of Jordan.

Kemar Roach is only 21 and is pretty damn special. I have big hopes for 19 year old Jason Dawes who similarly to Roach, was the fastest bowler at the last Under 19 World Cup.

But what I really want is a big tall West Indian fast bowler, I'm a bit fed up of these liluputian express pace bowlers we have been producing.

Aamer is surely not 17, its almost against NATURE to be 17 and be so damn good

i am guessing he is around 20(which is still brilliant)

WIFAN wrote:But what I really want is a big tall West Indian fast bowler, I'm a bit fed up of these liluputian express pace bowlers we have been producing.

It would be fun to see something like that. But I think they all have been gobbled up by the succulus called NBA, i.e. if at all they are into sports.

How tall is Tonge?

Obviously a certain amount of tall men are moving into other sports but there are very tall pace bowlers about, they just aren't ready for the big time yet (apart from Gavin Tonge who is 6 feet 4 and will probably play the next test).

WIFAN wrote:Obviously a certain amount of tall men are moving into other sports but there are very tall pace bowlers about, they just aren't ready for the big time yet (apart from Gavin Tonge who is 6 feet 4 and will probably play the next test).

An attack of,

Roach
Tonge
Bravo
Gentle Benn


Doesn't fill me with confidence, especially on a slow-low Adelaide deck.

Roach and Bravo would have to do pretty much all the work.

Actually it is not just about being tall and athletic.

but the commitment and work ethics shown by the Windians in their heydays was something else.

those men were out to prove something.
that fire just isn't there today.

some people talk about 'passion for the game' ..

but 'passion for the game' will leave one in the shoes of england.

who are sometimes there when the 'passion' arouses them, and mostly absent which is 95% of the time they play cricket.

to be motivated and a burning desire to prove oneself and one's tribe is what really motivates men.

I would exempt Fidel and Roach from that comment as they both bowl fast pretty much all day. But that could certainly be targeted at Taylor who gets injured far too often.

Admittedly they are all under 6 feet tall though.

lardbucket wrote:and Barath and Akmal both centuries on debut ...

Wonderful news for Test cricket.

Indeed. Barath in particular will probably be saying to all his mates that his ton on debut against Australia is the best thing that he has ever done in cricket, even though he has played a T20 Champions League final. In fact, I would hazard a guess that he will never experience that level of achievement and elation in any shorter form of the game.

Hopefully, he came back to a zillion text messages from all the greats of WI cricket saying how proud they were of him.

the Barath knock was a real highlight of the weekend and the year...really enjoyed the exuberant strokeplay and joie de vivre of the lad...reminscent of some the great Windies openers (Roy, Gordon and Conrad)

horace wrote:the Barath knock was a real highlight of the weekend and the year...really enjoyed the exuberant strokeplay and joie de vivre of the lad...reminscent of some the great Windies openers (Roy, Gordon and Conrad)

Potentially; Horries, greatest post of all-time. (Better than all mine combined).

@ leekhead

horace wrote: @ leekhead

I have to agree though, it was a quality knock. He stood up when so many of his peers couldn't or wouldn't.

agreed...for me it was the one highlight of an otherwise poor quality match of pretty ordinairy players