Legendary former West Indies seamer, Sir Curtly Ambrose, has offered valuable advice to West Indies’ emerging fast bowler, Shamar Joseph, encouraging him to prioritize and focus on the longer format of the game to develop his cricketing skills.
In the wake of Joseph’s impressive performance in the second Test against Australia in Brisbane, Sir Curtly emphasized the significance of establishing a strong foundation in red-ball cricket before venturing into the shorter formats of the game.
The legendary former pacer shared his perspective, saying, “I believe that he loves cricket in general, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s Test, ODI, or T20 cricket. I believe he is just passionate about cricket.”
Focus on red-ball cricket initially
He continued, “But for me, I would love to see him continue playing red-ball cricket for a while so that he can develop his skills. Because we know sometimes as a young player, as you gain success, you are wanted in the T20 franchise cricket around the world.”
Highlighting the importance of learning and understanding what it takes to become a world-class fast bowler, Sir Curtly stressed the need for Joseph to focus on red-ball cricket initially and later explore opportunities in ODIs and T20 cricket.
Joseph made a remarkable entry into international cricket with a five-wicket haul on his Test debut in Adelaide, despite West Indies suffering a 10-wicket loss in the opening Test against Australia. His crucial contribution in the second Test at the Gabba, where he claimed seven wickets, played a pivotal role in West Indies securing an eight-run victory.
Huge find
Sir Curtly, who had previously worked with Joseph at a fast-bowling clinic in Guyana, commended the young speedster as a “huge find” and noted his potential to excel on the global cricketing stage.
Describing Joseph’s unique attributes, Sir Curtly mentioned, “Shamar Joseph is not the tallest fast bowler. He is a bit of a skidder with raw pace consistently exceeding 140 kph, which is high pace. He is a skiddy customer more in the mold of Malcolm Marshall, who was quick and skiddy.”
Sir Curtly’s guidance underscores the importance of nurturing and developing young talents like Shamar Joseph within the framework of Test cricket to ensure long-term success in the sport.
