CONCERNED that prevalence of spin was ‘impacting negatively’ on pace, the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) directed its cricket committee last June “to make further recommendations to prioritize the development of fast bowlers in the region and for the West Indies team.”
Whether or not purely coincidental, Alzarri Joseph, a powerfully built, 6 foot, 4 inches of genuine pace, has suddenly emerged to unsettle batsmen and ease the WICB’s anxiety. The reasonable expectation is that his influence on the West Indies’ triumph in the recent under-19 World Cup, beamed live on television throughout the Caribbean, inspires a revival of fast bowling, always the hallmark of the finest West Indies teams.
Joseph was clocked as delivering the fastest ball in the tournament, 147 kph/91.5 mph. He consistently hovered around the high 80s-90 mph. He claimed at least one wicket in each of his opening bursts.
Helmets were hit, gloves were jammed against bat handles. Of his 13 wickets,