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Courtney Walsh

Brian Lara David Gray/Reuters
Brian Lara David Gray/Reuters
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Wasim Akram, Waqar Younis Pick Between Brian Lara And Sachin Tendulkar

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Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis, Pakistan’s legendary pacers, are still regarded as the most thrilling pace bowling duo of all time. They played in an era where each team had a formidable pace bowling duo such as Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh of West Indies, Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming of Australia, Shaun Pollock and Allan Donald of South Africa, Chaminda Vaas and Nuwan Zoysa of Sri Lanka among others, but Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis stand out for being the ‘King of Swings’.

During their careers, the duo would be pitted against the best of batters. Their rivalries with the likes of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar, Aravinda de Silva, Steve Waugh, and many more are the stuff of legends. However, the 1990s would always be known for two batters who stood out head and shoulders above the rest. Unlike today, where the Fab 5 are dominating the batting, the 90s had two batting greats – Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.

Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis name their pick between Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.(Getty Images)
Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis name their pick between Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara. (Getty Images)

Wasim Akram Would Want To Read Brian Lara’s Mind

The 1990s, or even today when that era is mentioned, is dominated with one question whether Sachin Tendulkar or Brian Lara was the best. While the two geniuses had their own aura, Sachin Tendulkar could not score a triple-century in Tests like his West Indies counterpart, or neither could Brian Lara emulate the ODI success of the Indian legend who scored the first ODI double ton.

Wasim Akram Image Credit: Supplied
Wasim Akram–Image Credit: Supplied

Unlike other pacers of the previous generation, Wasim Akram or Waqar Younis were prompt with their replies. On being asked to select between Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara, Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis replied: ‘Brian Lara’. The second-highest wicket-taker in ODIs, Wasim Akram, even revealed that the one player whose mind he would like to read is that of the former West Indies captain Brian Lara.

“Whose mind would I want to read? I suppose for me to read someone’s mind, it has to be of some greats of the game. Maybe, Brian Charles Lara because I would want to figure how can I get him out. What is going through his head,” Akram said.

Brian Lara topped the Test batting rankings on several occasions and holds several cricketing records, including the record for the highest individual score in first-class cricket, with an unbeaten 501 runs for Warwickshire against Durham at Edgbaston in 1994, which is the only quintuple hundred in first-class cricket history.

Brian Lara also holds the record for the highest individual score in a Test innings after scoring 400 not out against England at Antigua in 2004.

Waqar Younis Said It’s Difficult To Pick One Among Brian Lara And Sachin Tendulkar, But He Would Agree With Legend Wasim Akram

Sachin Tendulkar currently holds the record for most hundreds in both Tests and ODIs. Incredibly, he retained a divine enthusiasm for the game till his last match. He also scored the first double-century in one-day cricket. In 2012, he became the first player to score 100 international centuries.

Later that year, though, he announced his retirement from ODIs. And on November 16, 2013, Sachin Tendulkar retired from Test cricket after a memorable 200th Test-the most by any player.

Meanwhile, Waqar said: “It is a difficult one. We played with a lot of legends. My friend here (Wasim) is a legend of the game. I would like to be in his mind when he used to bowl.”

Waqar Younis © Reuters
Waqar Younis © Reuters

Waqar Younis even mentioned  Brian Lara as the best batter he has ever bowled to, while Wasim Akram went with former New Zealand captain Martin Crowe.

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India's Jasprit Bumrah in action during the 2019 ICC World Cup | AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar
India's Jasprit Bumrah in action during the 2019 ICC World Cup | AFP / Dibyangshu Sarkar
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Curtly Ambrose Is A “Big Fan” Of Rare Breed Jasprit Bumrah

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Curtly Ambrose showered Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah with praises, admitting that he’s a fan of the pacer and that he comes across a rare breed.

Discussion on pacers isn’t complete without the mention of the great Sir Curtly Ambrose. As the West Indies fast bowling spearhead from the late 1980s until 2000, Curtly Ambrose achieved great success and his partnership with Courtney Walsh made the duo one of the most lethal opening bowling pairs of all time. With 405 Test wickets and 225 scalps in ODIs, Curtly Ambrose is a legend when it comes to fast bowlers.

Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose
Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose was one of the deadliest bowling partnerships in history (Reuters)

Curtly Ambrose Is A Big Fan Of Jasprit Bumrah And He Looks Forward To Him Doing Well In Future Endeavors

Curtly Ambrose, one of the best of his generation, has spoken about one of the greats of today’s era, Jasprit Bumrah. In a conversation with sports presenter Karishma Kotak and senior sports journalist Vikrant Gupta, the West Indian praised Jasprit Bumrah, admitting that he’s a fan of the India pacer and that he comes across a rare breed.

“India’s got a few good fast bowlers. I’m a big fan of Jasprit Bumrah. He’s so different than any bowler I have seen. He’s so effective and I’m looking forward to him doing really well,” Ambrose said on The Curtly & Karishma Show on YouTube.

Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)
Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by PETER PARKS / AFP)

Curtly Ambrose sounded optimistic when asked if Jasprit Bumrah can go on to pick 400 Test scalps but pointed out that remaining fit and keeping his body strong will be key to the India pacer getting there.

“He is as long as he can remain healthy, fit, and play long enough. He can seam the ball, swing the ball, and bowl great yorkers. He’s got a lot in his arsenal. So as long as he can remain in the park for a long period of time, I’m sure he can get up there,” Ambrose explained.

Not too long ago, Michael Holding, the former West Indies fast bowler, had remarked that Jasprit Bumrah’s action will make it difficult for him to last long in international cricket, an opinion that did not go down too well with Indian cricket fans.

Curtly Ambrose Feels Jasprit Bumrah  Can Go The Distance If He Stays Strong To Accompany Short Run-up

However, Curtly Ambrose, on the other hand, feels the India quick will need to really manage his body well because of his action, in order to scale the 400-wicket mark.

“You know in terms of fast bowling, it’s generally about rhythm. So, you need to build a good rhythm before you can deliver. Bumrah has got a very short run-up. He walks most of the way and maybe one to two or three jogs before delivery.

“So, it simply means he may be putting a little more strain on his body but if he can remain strong enough, I think he’ll be ok. It’s just about him staying strong to accompany that short run-up. If he can do that, he’ll go the distance,” Curtly Ambrose added.

India's Jasprit Bumrah
India’s Jasprit Bumrah (Photo by Saeed KHAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read SAEED KHAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Curtly Ambrose, who took 405 wickets in 98 Tests at an outstanding average of 20.99, said from the current Indian lot, Jasprit Bumrah has impressed him the most. Jasprit Bumrah has 83 wickets from 19 Tests averaging 22.11 besides having 108 ODI and 59 T20I wickets.

Jasprit Bumrah was rested from the five-match T20I series against England, which incidentally was played in his hometown Ahmedabad, and the India fast bowler missed the three-match ODI series that followed too. After the third Test against England last week, he was also released from the Test squad for “personal reasons”.

His last ODI appearance was in December 2020 against Australia and T20I against New Zealand in February 2020. He finished the 4 match Test series against England with 4 wickets from 48 overs bowled across the two Tests.

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Courtney Walsh
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Jasprit Bumrah Has The Potential Where James Anderson, Stuart Broad Have Reached: Courtney Walsh

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Former West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh thinks Indian speedster Jasprit Bumrah well has the potential to reach James Anderson’s milestone. Walsh was the first pacer in the history of cricket to get 500 wickets in the longest format of the game. Till the time, he announced retirement — he had an illustrious record of 519 wickets from 132 Tests.

England pacer James Anderson recently achieved the feat of the first pacer to get 600 wickets in Test format. Anderson became the first fast bowler to bag this landmark. He joins the legendary trio of retired spinners; Sri Lanka’s Muttiah Muralitharan (800), Australia’s Shane Warne (708) and India’s Anil Kumble (619).

Courtney Walshi
Image credits: AFP.

Courtney Walsh on James Anderson’s 600 Test wickets haul:

Walsh lauded Anderson on his 600 wickets achievement in Test cricket and adored his hardwork and consistency. He mentioned the England pacer being not as quick as he was before but his skills being better now.

Courtney Walsh stated the reason behind Anderson’s longevity is him finding the right bowling action which takes minimal effort and doesn’t affect his body much.

“It is a fantastic achievement. It is a monumental effort for any fast bowler to play as much as you need to for taking 500 or 600 wickets. It just shows the hard work and dedication that Anderson has put in over the years. He truly deserves every accolade he gets. The fact that he still wants to play and aim for 700 wickets is tremendous. Courtney Walsh told The Times Of India in an interview.

James Anderson, stuart broad, England vs West Indies
James Anderson and Stuart Broad. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

“Once you get to know your bowling action, it will help you to survive and play for many years. Anderson is not as quick as he used to be when he was younger, but his skill sets have gotten better. He has more consistency. That is what you need. The smoothness of his action and the minimal effort it takes out of his body have allowed him to prolong his career for so long. He has an action that is not stressful on the body.”

He has the potential to reach where Anderson and Broad have: Courtney Walsh on Jasprit Bumrah

The legendary West Indies pacer Courtney Walsh believes Jasprit Bumrah has the potential to reach to the levels of England stars James and Anderson and Stuard Broad, who have crossed the 600 and 500 wickets mark, respectively in Test cricket.

Jasprit Bumrah,
Jasprit Bumrah. Photo Credit: Getty Images.

“He [Jasprit Bumrah] has the potential to reach where Anderson and Broad have. He is a very skilful bowler. He has a funny run-up that people might want to change. But it is what is best for him. If he stays fit, he could make his mark in a big way in all formats. It is just about how hungry he is to achieve success,” said Courtney Walsh on Bumrah.

The Indian pacer has a tough action which strains his back too much and for the same reason, Team India prefer to use him on short bursts. The 26-year-old speedster has only played 14 Test matches for India taking 68 wickets.

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Courtney Walsh bowls.
Courtney Walsh bowls.
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ICC Recalls Courtney Walsh Refusing To Mankad Saleem Jaffar

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ICC posted the video of Courtney Walsh’s decision to not Mankad Saleem Jaffar, which cost West Indies a semi-final berth in the 1987 World Cup. It was the last ball of a league-stage game against Pakistan in the 1987 Men’s World Cup in Lahore. West Indies needed the much-required win as it was the ninth match of the tournament and while Pakistan had won both their games thus far, West Indies had won one and lost the other. It was a crucial midway mark for both the teams.

West Indies finished the league stage with three wins out of six matches with a better net run-rate than Pakistan but the co-hosts of the tournament had won five of their games and qualified for the final four.

ICC Recalls Courtney Walsh Refusing To Mankad Saleem Jaffar 1
Courtney Walsh

Pakistan Needed Two Runs Of the Final Ball To Proceed Ahead

Courtney Walsh had seen Saleem Jaffar advancing down the crease at non-striker’s end, as he made his run-up for the last ball of the game. As he reached his delivery stride he stopped, but instead of running Jaffar out and ending the match, he simply warned the batsman to stay in the crease and walked back to the top of his mark.

“Not running Saleem Jaffar in the World Cup of 1987… people still recognize it and appreciate it,” Courtney Walsh said in the ICC video. “I just couldn’t do it without a warning, and as a youngster the spirit of the game meant a lot to me. And because of the gesture and the way it was appreciated, that’ll be a memory that will always be with me.”

ICC Recalls Courtney Walsh Refusing To Mankad Saleem Jaffar 2
Image Credits: Google

2 runs off the last ball were needed when Courtney Walsh decided to not mankad his opponent

The batsmen ran two off the final ball and won Pakistan the game. Abdul Qadir was on strike for the last ball, with Saleem Jaffar on the opposite end. They needed 14 off the last over to chase the target of 216 set by the Windies team.

ICC Recalls Courtney Walsh Refusing To Mankad Saleem Jaffar 3
Image Credits: Twitter

Courtney Walsh’s humble gesture cost them a place in the 1987 World Cup semifinals. Courtney Walsh finished that match with figures of 4/40 and finished his career with 227 ODI wickets to go along with 519 in Tests – the most by a West Indies bowler.

Watch an interview of Courtney Walsh:

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Cricketing pairs with great understanding
Cricketing pairs with great understanding
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Top 5 Cricketing Pairs Who Had Amazing Understanding Between Them

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Top 5 Cricketing Pairs Who Had Amazing Understanding Between Them. Cricket is obviously a game of partnerships, be it batting or of bowling. Some batsmen have to endure the toughest conditions and the dangerous bowlers to make things easier for the rest. Meanwhile, some bowlers like to hunt in pairs, one keeping an end quiet and creating pressure for his partner to benefit and the other taking wickets in regular interval.

Over the decades, there have been some amazing batting and bowling pairs who almost had a telepathic understanding when fighting the 22-yard battle shoulder to shoulder. These pairs in turn persistently formed a great shield or a potent force which helped the cause of their team.

Such pairs excelled due to the support they received from the other end and things were rarely ever the same once the partnership was broken.

Here we look at 5 such pairs who achieved great heights together.

Top 5 Cricketing Pairs Who Had Amazing Understanding Between Them

Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh

Top 5 Cricketing Pairs Who Had Amazing Understanding Between Them

 

The tall, hit-the-deck bowlers enjoyed terrorizing batsmen during the late 80s and early 90s. Capable of generating lethal bouncer courtesy their height, the two fast bowlers were largely creditable to guide West Indies come up with a substantial fight even after their glory days.

Their amazing partnership brought 762 wickets 203 more than the next pair of Wasim and Waqar, with Ambrose claiming 389 of those and Walsh taking 373, with a deadly average of 22.67. They were also holding another record of being the second-best new ball pair of all-time behind Akram and Waqar with 412 wickets at 22.10.

Walsh this time takes the majority with 226 of those wickets. The pair had 15 wicket Tests too like in Trinidad in 1994, with England the usual victim of their intimidating bowling not lacking for skill at all.

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Michael Vaughan
Michael Vaughan (Image Credit: Twitter)
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Michael Vaughan Discloses His Greatest Test Team in Alphabetical Surname Order

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While cricket is taking rest in the present moment amid the coronavirus outbreak, the cricket experts are busy to reveal their favourite players and teams in various categories. Former England captain Michael Vaughan has recently come up with a special team which is his ‘Greatest Test teams’ in alphabetical surname order. In this team, he named one Indian cricketer but surprised one and all with his opening batting choice.

Though Michael Vaughan chose some big names for this special list, he also dropped some special Test players from this list. Like some other legendary cricketers, Indian legends Sunil Gavaskar, Sachin Tendulkar, Rahul Dravid, Caribbean legends Brian Lara, Sir Viv Richards etc. have been missed out this squad. Vaughan also revealed that he took around three hours to select this special team.

Michael Vaughan, Greatest Test teams
Michael Vaughan (Image Credit: Google)

Virat Kohli was the only Indian in Michael Vaughan’s Greatest Test team in alphabetical surname order

In this line-up, the legendary Pakistan left-arm fast bowler Wasim Akram would open in batting with the captain Allan Border (former Australian captain). Though Border opened in 17 international matches, both Akram (never opened in international cricket) and Border never opened in the Test cricket.

Wasim Akram, Greatest Test teams
Wasim Akram (Image Credit: Twitter)

Vaughan’s next two choices were the English legend Sir Geoffrey Boycott and Aussie legend Sir Donald Bradman. The former Aussie wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist was selected in the following position on this exclusive list. Mentioning Gilchrist’s name, Vaughan didn’t forget to remind his famous big ears.

Vaughan then selected South African legendary all-rounder Jacques Kallis and Caribbean all-rounder, Sir Garry Sobers. In between them, the former English captain named the present Indian captain Virat Kohli by calling him a genius.

Virat Kohli, Greatest Test teams
Virat Kohli (Image Credits: BCCI Twitter)

Vaughan’s last three choices in this list were English left-arm spinner Derek Underwood, Caribbean fast bowler Courtney Walsh and the legendary Aussie leg-spinner Shane Warne. He also mentioned Warne as a king.

Though Vaughan initially also named Brian Lara, Sir Viv Richards and Sachin Tendulkar in this list, they ultimately missed out this particular team.

Michael Vaughan’s greatest Test team in alphabetical surname order: Wasim Akram, Allan Border (C), Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Sir Donald Bradman, Adam Gilchrist, Jacques Kallis, Virat Kohli, Sir Garry Sobers, Derek Underwood, Courtney Walsh and Shane Warne.

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Sachin Tendulkar, Test cricket, pitches
Sachin Tendulkar (Image Credit: Google)
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Sachin Tendulkar And Courtney Walsh Will Join In Bushfire Cricket Bash

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The legendary Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar and the Caribbean fast-bowler Courtney Walsh have joined in the Bushfire Cricket Bash.

Cricket Australia (CA) has planned to organise a one-off charity cricket match among the legendary cricketers on 8th February 2020. It will be the match between Ponting XI and Warne XI where Ricky Ponting and Shane Warne will respectively play the lead roles. Many Australian legends Justin Langer, Adam Gilchrist, Brett Lee, Shane Watson, Alex Blackwell and Michael Clarke will play in this match. While many more cricketers will confirm their availability for this game soon, Steve Waugh and Mel Jones will be present in the on-playing activity.

Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne
Shane Warne. (Photo Credit: Getty Images)

CA welcomes Sachin Tendulkar and Courtney Walsh

Sachin Tendulkar, Bushfire Cricket Bash
Sachin Tendulkar (Image Credit: IANS)

Also, Sachin Tendulkar and Courtney Walsh both will be present in that game but not as the players. Both Tendulkar and Walsh will play the coaching roles in that game. The CA feels very happy after both of them have confirmed their presence in that special match.

Sachin Tendulkar And Courtney Walsh Will Join In Bushfire Cricket Bash 4
Courtney Walsh (Image Credit: Google)

CA CEO Kevin Roberts said according to cricket.com.au, “We are absolutely honoured to be welcoming Sachin and Courtney back to Australia where they both enjoyed a lot of success as players, and we can’t wait to have them involved in what is going to be a special day.

“We’re looking forward to our people at CA and the entire Australian cricket family coming together for the Big Appeal.”

Former two-time World Cup-winning captain Ricky Ponting also feels great after Sachin Tendulkar’s confirmation for this match. Ponting wrote on his official Twitter account, “How great is it to have @sachin_rt taking part in the Bushfire Cricket Bash and giving up his time to come out for the cause. Picked the right team to coach too!”

 

 

On 8th February 2020, a total of three matches will be played in recognise of the ongoing and incredible work of volunteers, career firefighters and emergency services in the latest Australian bushfires. The first game of that day will be a Women’s T20I between Australia and India in the Commonwealth Bank Women’s Tri-Series (T20I format). Later, Bushfire Cricket Bash will begin just before the final of 2019/20 Big Bash League. The venue for the Bushfire Cricket Bash will be decided soon.

All the match profits and fundraised on that day will be donated to the Australian Red Cross Disaster Relief and Recovery Fund.

Also, the CA has decided to give $2 million to the Community Bushfire Recovery Fund. This fund will support many cricket clubs and communities which were affected by the rage of bushfires. According to the recent report, around 29 people lost their lives and more than 2,000 homes were destroyed in the latest Australian bushfires.

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Umesh Yadav, three wickets
Umesh Yadav. BCCI
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India Vs South Africa: Umesh Yadav Picks Fifth Successive 3-wicket Haul, Equals Courtney Walsh’s Record

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Umesh Yadav had an amazing day against South Africa on the day three of Ranchi Test. He was successful in sending back the visitors to the pavilion with his fast bowling. In the ongoing Test match against South Africa, he has picked five wickets.

In the first innings of South Africa of Ranchi Test, Umesh Yadav picked three crucial wickets which led the visitors to go all out on 162 runs. Umesh, with that three-wicket haul, has made another record. He became the second fast bowler to pick at least three wickets in five successive innings in India after the Caribbean pacer Courtney Walsh.

In Hyderabad Test against West Indies, Umesh’s figure was 6/88, 4/45 and now against Proteas, his figures were 3/37, 3/22 and 3/40. These were his record in the five successive Test innings in India.

Umesh Yadav, three wickets
Umesh Yadav (Image Credit: Google)

Umesh Yadav has impressed in the entire Ranchi Test match

On the second day of the third Test match, India declared the innings at 497 runs at the loss of nine wickets.

In the first innings of South Africa, Umesh picked three crucial wickets. He first dismissed Quinton de Kock and then the captain Faf du Plessis. Then he picked the wicket of debutant George Linde who scored 37 runs. The visitors were bundled out on 162 runs.

Skipper Virat Kohli announced the follow-on as India has the lead of 300+ runs. Quinton de Kock had a bad day as he again got out on the ball of Umesh Yadav. Another Wicket took by the fast bowler was of Heinrich Klaasen who scored 5 runs.

Umesh Yadav not only contributed in the team through his bowling but also through his batting. Everybody in the ground was shocked to see the player hitting sixes all over the ground. He hit five sixes in the different area of the field on the second day of this Ranchi Test. In just 10 balls, he scored 31 runs which were the fastest by the player.

Jasprit Bumrah‘s injury turned as a fortune for Umesh Yadav as he got the chance in the Test squad. Umesh has successfully grabbed the opportunity and has proved beneficial in the absence of yorker king.

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Photo: AFP
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Anil Kumble To Join Kings XI Punjab As Director Of Cricket; Jonty Rhodes To Be Named Fielding Coach

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Former India head coach Anil Kumble is all set to take over as the Director of Cricket of Indian Premier League (IPL) franchise Kings XI Punjab. Ness Wadia, the co-owner of KXIP, confirmed the update to Times of India and said that Kumble will be joining the team.

“Kumble is our choice to coach Kings XI. The world knows about his cricketing and coaching abilities. He’s a very calm, cool and collected person. He comes with a lot of experience in the IPL, having worked with two other franchises in the past, and also with the Indian team. We’re pretty sure that under his leadership, Kings XI will do very well,” Wadia told TOI.

Anil Kumble

The former India captain has also been associated with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers Bangalore in coaching capacity in past, where he also coached Mumbai to a title victory. Kumble later went on to become the head coach of the Indian cricket team, where his stint came to an end after one year in the job.

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Kumble was given an automatic entry in the interview process following the completion of his one-year term but he resigned from the position as soon as his stint with the team ended. Kumble did not take up coaching assignments from there on and his association with KXIP will be a comeback to coaching circuit for India’s most successful bowler.

Also Read: May be I did something? Misbah-ul-Haq on series defeat against Pakistan

Apart from him, former India spinner Sunil Joshi will also join the team as an assistant coach. He was appointed as Bangladesh’s bowling mentor in 2017 and kept the position till the end of World Cup 2019 before the cricket board removed all the coaches. He is presently the coach of Uttar Pradesh in domestic cricket.

West Indies legend Courtney Walsh will also be joining the team as bowling coach cum talent scout. He was also associated with Bangladesh and his stint ended after World Cup.

Jonty Rhodes, India, 2019 World Cup

Though not confirmed, the report in TOI also adds that Jonty Rhodes will be joining the team as its fielding coach. Rhodes was fielding coach of Mumbai Indians for the first nine seasons of Indian Premier League before he parted ways with the franchise for personal reasons.

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He was one of the candidates for the job of fielding coach of Indian cricket team but incumbent R Sridhar kept his position. Rhodes was always expected to join an IPL team once he showed interest in making his comeback as a fielding coach in India.

It remains to be seen if there will be a change in captaincy or not. Should KXIP trade R Ashwin to Delhi Capitals there will be a new captain while Ashwin will continue to lead if he stays with the team.

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Jasprit Bumrah, Sir Curtly Ambrose
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Jasprit Bumrah Could Have Been One Of Us – Sir Curtly Ambrose

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During their domination era, the West Indies pacers were formidable. One of their top pacers, Sir Curtly Ambrose, has highly praised the Indian pacer Jasprit Bumrah. The 55-year-old feels that the complete bowler Bumrah could have been one of their team members.

Since his international debut in January 2016, Jasprit Bumrah has gradually dominated in world cricket. He has played 111 international matches and hardly shown his off form. In his international career, the right-arm pacer has taken 209 wickets.

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As a pace bowler, Jasprit Bumrah is famous for his unorthodox bowling action. Apart from his accurate yorker deliveries, Bumrah is also very good with his line and lengths and varieties.

Jasprit Bumrah, Sir Curtly Ambrose
Jasprit Bumrah (Image Credit: Google)

After making his Test debut in January 2018, Bumrah has become more dangerous with the ball in hand.

Bumrah has played 11 Tests, 58 ODIs and 42 T20Is where he has picked up 55, 103 and 51 wickets respectively. He is currently the no.1-ranked ODI bowler. Recently, he also became the fastest Indian pacer to complete 50 Test wickets.

The legendary Caribbean pacer Sir Curtly Ambrose has lauded this powerful Indian pacer.

Jasprit Bumrah, Sir Curtly Ambrose
Sir Curtly Ambrose (Image Credit: Google)

Ambrose told the Indian Express, “He’s good at varying his lengths, depending on the surfaces and batsmen. I saw that in the World Cup, how he adjusted (and altered) his lengths according to the conditions and batsmen. That makes life difficult for batsmen.”

In the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2019, Jasprit Bumrah was the leading wicket-taker for India. He took 18 wickets in nine matches of that tournament (average 20.61) with an impressive economy rate of 4.41.

Jasprit Bumrah reminds me a bit of Courtney Walsh a bit – Sir Curtly Ambrose

Sir Curtly Ambrose further added that Bumrah reminded him his long-time pace bowling partner Courtney Walsh.

Jasprit Bumrah, Sir Curtly Ambrose
Courtney Walsh (Image Credit: AFP)

Ambrose claimed, “(In this regard), he reminds me a bit of Courtney (Walsh) a bit. He was wonderful in sizing up the length and bowling accordingly.”

While Walsh is the most Test wicket-taker for Windies, Ambrose is the second most Test wicket-taker for this side. Walsh took 519 wickets in 132 Tests, and Ambrose managed 405 wickets in 98 Tests.

Read More: Three Possible Changes In Indian Playing XI For The Last Test Against Windies

Ambrose has called Bumrah as the complete bowler. The Caribbean legend believes that the Indian pacer could have played in any era, including a member of the great Caribbean pace-bowling line-up.

Ambrose added, “At times, he rekindles memories of our prime. The pace, aggression, the hostility, the craft. The way he outclasses the batsmen, the way he out-thinks them. He could have been one of us, he’s so complete a bowler that he could have played in any era.”

Not only Sir Curtly Ambrose, but the entire world cricket is also praising the 25-year-old Indian pacer.

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