Best of the West Indian Pace Bowlers

[sumantra]

1975 onwards

1) Malcolm Marshall
2) Joel Garner
3) Micheal Holding
4) Curtly Ambrose
5) Collin Croft
6) Andy Roberts
7) Courtney Walsh
8) Ian Bishop

 

[weldone]

Overall:

1. Malcolm Marshall
2. Joel Garner
3. Curtly Ambrose
4. Michael Holding
5. Andy Roberts
6. Wes Hall
7. Courtney Walsh
8. Colin Croft
9. Charlie Griffith
10. Ian Bishop

 

[Zinzan]

My order...

Marshall
Ambrose
Garner
Holding
Roberts
Walsh
Croft
Hall
Bishop
Griffith

 

[weldone]

Clive Lloyd in his autobiography opined that Wes Hall is the best West Indian pace bowler of all-time, followed by Andy Roberts.

 

[Slifer]

Of all time:

Marshall
Ambrose
Garner (very underrated)
Holding
Walsh
Roberts
Hall
Bishop
Croft
Griffith

 

[fredfertang]

Malcolm Marshall by a short head from Sylvester Clarke

then

Wes Hall

followed by, in no particular order

Roberts, Holding, Garner, Bishop, Ambrose, Walsh

all a bit ahead of, again in no particular order

Griffith, Croft, Daniel, Martindale, Constantine and Gilchrist

 

[Zinzan]

Clive Lloyd in his autobiography opined that Wes Hall is the best West Indian pace bowler of all-time, followed by Andy Roberts.

I've heard other past players suggest similar things about Croft, Roberts & Griffith

 

[Outswinger@Pace]

Bowlers through West Indies' glorious history:

Malcolm Marshall

Andy Roberts

Wes Hall

Colin Croft (as penetrative as any pace bowler for his 27-test career)

Michael Holding

Curtly Ambrose

Ian Bishop (fitness factor apart, the man was a complete fast bowler)

Joel Garner

Courtney Walsh

Roy Gilchrist

Sylvester Clarke (very, very unlucky to not have played more tests)

Charlie Griffith

 

[weldone]

I've heard other past players suggest similar things about Croft, Roberts & Griffith

Yeah, but if there's one man who have closely seen most of the great West Indian pace bowlers that person is Lloyd. The importance of his observations and opinions is slightly different from other past players in that sense.

 

[smash84]

Malcolm Marshall by a short head from Sylvester Clarke

then

Wes Hall

followed by, in no particular order

Roberts, Holding, Garner, Bishop, Ambrose, Walsh

all a bit ahead of, again in no particular order

Griffith, Croft, Daniel, Martindale, Constantine and Gilchrist

You rate Sylvester Clarke so highly? The only bit I was able to catch about him was Imran Khan telling Richie Benaud that Sylvester Clarke could be a really nasty proposition to face. Why do you rate him so highly?

 

[fredfertang]

You rate Sylvester Clarke so highly? The only bit I was able to catch about him was Imran Khan telling Richie Benaud that Sylvester Clarke could be a really nasty proposition to face. Why do you rate him so highly?

Sadly most of the cricket I have watched has been on television which, as we all know, gives you the best seat in the house, but of course there is still something intangible that you can only pick up by being on the ground.

In the early 80's I briefly lived in London so got to the Oval and Lord's a few times to watch Surrey and Middlesex. I enjoyed watching Wayne Daniel at Lord's, and rated him very highly, but Sylvers was something else. 'Tis true he was bowling on a quick wicket, that the batsmen were generally County players and not Test players, and also that I was some sort of talisman for him as I always seemed to catch his good days, but he was absolutely terrifying even for someone sat in the crowd - how the batsmen faced him I just do not know - I saw a few Test batters face him - some got a few runs but none looked happy. If he were around today the WIndies wouldn't be languishing where they are

 

[smash84]

I remember a match county match uploaded by Rob where Sylvester Clarke (among others) was hammered to all parts of the ground. Every time he tried to bounce Viv Richards, and I must say some were from a good length, and Richards would just pull it effortlessly to the fence for 4 or sometimes 6.

 

[kyear2]

Malcolm Marshall
Curtly Ambrose
Michael Holding
Wes Hall
Andy Roberts
Joel Garner
Courtney Walsh
Ian Bishop
Colin Croft
Roy Gilchrist

 

[Turbinator]

Tino Best

 

[zaremba]

Bishop might just have been the daddy of them all if he'd avoided that injury.

 

[kyear2]

Agree. At his peak he was truely GREAT. But as fast bowlers go he is not alone. Thompson, Tyson, Waqar even Lillee, though he managed to adapt better than the others.