There seems to be something wrong with fast bowling fitness in West Indies senior ranks. No fast bowling combination seems to last more than a few matches. With West Indies completing its final Test for this year against Bangladesh, especially with its batsmen doing well, there still is concern, despite the bowlers also doing brilliantly to win the opening Test, about overall fitness.
In Test No 2 versus Bangladesh, because of pitch conditions, West Indies fast bowling comprised only Fidel Edwards and Tino Best, helped by medium-paced captain, Darren Sammy. In the first Test of the Bangladesh tour, Ravi Rampaul played ahead of Edwards, getting 3-118 (32 overs), and 2-32 (11 overs); creditable match figures of 5-150 (43 overs), on a pitch not fast-bowling-friendly.
Yet Rampaul missed the second Test. Surely he was not dropped? If he was rested, what of rhythm, form and consistency? If he is injured again, that cannot be good enough for his fast-bowling state. Meanwhile, Best had his first five-wicket haul ever in the second innings of Test No 1; 5-24 (12.3 overs), to augment first innings 1-77 (23 overs), also exceptional match figures of 6-101.
During Test No 2, one week later, Best, who should have been raring to explode with confidence, is again injured, bowling only ten overs before pulling up with a hamstring injury. It can certainly not be good or consistent, for any player or any team, that bowlers are rotated so much.
Aeons past, West Indies fast bowlers operated in pairs. Some 35 or so years ago, Clive Lloyd changed that to a four-pronged fast-bowling attack that lasted series after series, with relatively few injuries. Nowadays, no one is sure if any West Indies fast bowler will last even a full Test match.
News suggests that Kemar Roach is back after pulling a fetlock before the Bangladesh tour. He could not play in the two Test matches for this series. Luckily, he seems to be okay again for the One Day International (ODI) and Twenty20 (T20) series but Roach has had a jack-in-the box existence with injuries in this team.
West Indies played its first Test for this year against Australia, in Barbados. The faster bowlers were Roach, Edwards and Sammy. They survived, well too, to Test No 2 in T&T. By Test No 3 in Dominica, Rampaul was back, in place of the again injured Edwards. Australia won 2-0, more by attrition than by dominance.
West Indies next Test and tour to England-Test No 1 at Lords. Edwards, Sammy and Roach again, were augmented by the new, seriously quick Shannon Gabriel. Here was hope for more real speed. After a good start, match figures of 4-86 (26.3 overs), Gabriel had a stress fracture and has not been active internationally since. Rumour has it that he is again fully fit and raring to extend.
In the second Test in Trent Bridge, the faster bowlers' combination was Roach, Rampaul and Sammy. West Indies lost both Tests. For Test No 3 of that series, drawn at Birmingham, Best, who had been flown in to replace Gabriel, partnered Sammy and Rampaul. The rotation continued.
Next was a series in West Indies against New Zealand. Rampaul, Roach and Sammy were this time used in both Tests. At least there was continuity here. West Indies won both matches but that is where player continuity ended too. If taken literally, these might suggest that bowlers were being rotated for their own good and refreshment.
However, all of the faster bowlers, except Sammy, who persevered well, have had quite serious injuries this past year. Fortunately for them and West Indies, they have made relatively quick recoveries. One must take into context fast bowling especially in Tests. The pitches, too, have not been conducive to fast bowling anywhere, not even in the Caribbean.
Gone are the days that one could look forward to fast, unpredictably bouncy Sabina Park in Jamaica, or similarly fast but more consistent bounciness of Kensington Oval in Barbados. With that slightly disguised emphasis on more spin than ever, orthodox or knuckle-ball, pitches are even slower than ever everywhere!
This rotation, planned from injury or otherwise, cannot be good for West Indies faster bowlers. I can attest that fast bowling is not about strength but mostly rhythm. I also ran about 50 miles per week.
Many present-day fast bowlers suggest that formats for getting fit have changed, that more is done in gymnasiums than just pounding pavements, running miles to get fast-bowling stamina and rhythm. That might be so but there is no substitute for miles if your work in cricket is running long distances, as fast bowlers normally do!
If they do not run enough, they would be injured easily, regardless of how well torsos or legs look from gym work. Enjoy!
