Ambrose calls for a fresh start

The continual demise of West Indies cricket is not because there is a lack of talent but it is the structure of the game in the region, and legendary fast bowler Curtley Ambrose is calling for a fresh start.

Ambrose who was here in St. Vincent and the Grenadines for a two day fast bowling coaching stint last week Thursday and Friday vented his feelings in an interview with SEARCHLIGHT.{{more}}

An obviously hurting Ambrose said, “We need to look at the whole structure of cricket in the region and start afresh, because what we have going on now is not working; we need to restructure the whole thing in the Caribbean so we can produce better cricketers”.

Peeved over the lack of foresight by cricket administrators, the beam pole six foot six inch Ambrose said, “I remembered years ago we kept saying to the cricket board and other boards in the region that cricket has changed, a lot of technology has crept into cricket, and no longer we can rely on our natural talent and ability alone, we need to put things in place to nurture these talented cricketers we have so when they get to the test level they will be ready, but they have never done that”.

“We always believe that we will always produce great cricketers and it is not happening and we are seeing the result now ‘Because we cannot find a proper test team to take on any team in the world”.

Currently the West Indies is eighth among the ten test playing nations, but for Ambrose, “We are the last team in the world; from first to last and that is painful”.

He is not counting on the likes of Bangladesh and Kenya as for him they are not the traditional test playing countries.

Concerned especially in the fast bowling department, to which he has contributed immensely in the West Indies domination on the world stage in the late eighties and early nineties, Ambrose, mournfully said, “I never thought I would be around long enough to see West Indies in this sad state especially in the fast bowling department”.

He acknowledged that there is obvious talent in this area but there is no consistency.

He considered Courtney Walsh and himself the last two great fast bowlers the West Indies has produced.

“Since the departure of myself and Courtney Walsh, since then we have struggled, we have tried lots of guys from time to time and so far none has really come through and this is disappointing as there is talent, they have shown they are capable of producing match winning performances but there is no consistency”, the 43 year -old Antiguan observed.

Ambrose though, was hopeful that the efforts of the St. Vincent and the Grenadines Cricket Association and other initiatives by other territories will soon bear fruit.

A veteran of 98 test matches in which he took 405 wickets, Ambrose also appeared in 176 One Day Internationals with 225 scalps under his belt.

He was guest of the local cricket association as an advisor to another former West Indies fast bowler, Vincentian Nixon Mac Lean who is conducting a 14 week fast bowlers’ clinic at the Arnos Vale Playing Field.

Ambrose’s visit was two-fold as he is also the “Legend” assigned to the St. Vincent and the Grenadines team for the second Stanford 20/20 tournament slated for January 2008.