Courtney Walsh facts for kids
Courtney Walsh in 2018
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| Full name |
Courtney Andrew Walsh
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| Born | 30 October 1962 Kingston, Jamaica |
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| Height | 198 cm (6 ft 6 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm fast | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 183) | 9 November 1984 v Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 19 April 2001 v South Africa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 45) | 10 January 1985 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 11 January 2000 v New Zealand | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 12, 33 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1981/82–2000/01 | Jamaica | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1984–1998 | Gloucestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 21 August 2008
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Courtney Andrew Walsh is a famous former cricket player from Jamaica. He played for the West Indies from 1984 to 2001. Courtney Walsh was a very fast bowler, known for his amazing partnership with fellow bowler Curtly Ambrose. Many people think he is one of the best bowlers ever.
Walsh played in 132 Test matches and 205 One Day International (ODI) matches for the West Indies. He took a huge number of wickets: 519 in Tests and 227 in ODIs. He was the first bowler in history to take 500 wickets in Test cricket! His autobiography is called "Heart of the Lion." In 2010, he was added to the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame, which is a big honor for cricketers.
Contents
Early Cricket Days
Courtney Andrew Walsh was born in Kingston, Jamaica, on October 30, 1962. He started playing cricket at the Melbourne club, the same place where another famous cricketer, Michael Holding, played.
In 1979, when he was still in school, Courtney became known for taking 10 wickets in a single innings. This was a huge achievement! Just three years later, he began his professional cricket career, playing in what is called first-class cricket.
Playing for Clubs
Walsh played first-class cricket for many years, from 1981 to 2001. During this time, he took an incredible 1,807 wickets. He played for the Jamaica team and also for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in England from 1985 to 1998. He was a key player for Gloucestershire for many years.
International Cricket Career
Courtney Walsh made his first appearance in a Test match in 1984 against Australia. He took two wickets in that game. He played several Test matches that season.
He also made his debut in One Day International (ODI) cricket in 1985 against Sri Lanka. In 1987, he was recognized as one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. This award is given to the best players of the previous year.
Key Moments and Partnerships
In 1987–88, Walsh played against India and took 26 wickets in four matches. He showed his skill by taking five wickets in an innings twice in that series.
One famous moment happened during the 1987 Cricket World Cup. In a close match against Pakistan, Walsh chose not to run out a Pakistani player who was out of his crease. This was a great act of sportsmanship, even though it meant the West Indies lost the match. People still remember him for this fair play.
In 1988–89, during a tour in Australia, Walsh achieved a rare hat-trick in a Test match. This means he took three wickets with three consecutive balls, but it was unusual because it happened across two different innings!
Leading the Team
In 1994, Courtney Walsh became the captain of the West Indies team for tours to India and New Zealand. He was a very strong bowler in the 1990s. His partnership with Curtly Ambrose was one of the most feared in the world. Together, they were a nightmare for opposing batsmen!
Walsh was known for his accuracy and strength. He used his height (about 198 cm, or six feet six inches) to make the ball bounce in a way that was hard for batsmen to hit. Even as he got older, he continued to take many wickets.
Final Matches
Courtney Walsh played his last ODI match against New Zealand in 2000. His final Test match was against South Africa in his home country, Jamaica, in 2001.
Walsh is one of only a few bowlers to have bowled over 5,000 overs in Test cricket. He is also one of only seven bowlers to have taken 500 or more Test wickets. In ODIs, he had an amazing performance once, taking 5 wickets for just 1 run against Sri Lanka in 1986.
Even though he was a brilliant bowler, Walsh was not known for his batting. Crowds would often cheer loudly when he came out to bat, sometimes just to tease the other team!
Amazing Records and Achievements
In December 1986, Courtney Walsh took 5 wickets for only one run in an ODI match against Sri Lanka. This was his best bowling performance in an ODI.
In February 1998, he played his 100th Test match against England. In 2000, Walsh made history by becoming the highest wicket-taker in Test cricket, breaking the record of 434 wickets held by Kapil Dev. He did this in his 114th match.
Walsh was also the first bowler ever to reach 500 wickets in Test cricket. He achieved this against South Africa in 2001. His partnership with Curtly Ambrose was legendary; they shared 421 wickets in 49 matches together.
While his bowling records are amazing, his batting records are less so. He holds the record for the most "ducks" (getting out without scoring any runs) in Test cricket, with 43.
Walsh holds the record for the best bowling figures (13 wickets for 55 runs) for a captain in a Test match.
Retirement from Cricket
Courtney Walsh's Test career lasted for 17 years. He bowled over 5,000 overs and took 519 wickets. Many cricket experts believe he was one of the most respected and admired cricketers of his time.
His last Test match was in April 2001, where he took six wickets. His last ODI was in January 2000.
Former West Indies captain Clive Lloyd said that young fast bowlers should try to be like Courtney Walsh because of his dedication. Another legend, Garry Sobers, praised Walsh for always giving 100 percent effort.
Life After Playing Cricket
After retiring, Courtney Walsh continued to be involved in cricket. He worked as a selector for the West Indies national team.
In August 2016, he became the bowling coach for the Bangladesh national cricket team. He helped train their bowlers until his contract ended after the 2019 Cricket World Cup.
Courtney Walsh also owns a restaurant in Jamaica called Cuddyz. In November 2019, he was appointed as an assistant coach for the West Indies women's cricket team. In October 2020, he became the head coach for the West Indies women's team.
Awards and Special Honors
- In 1987, Walsh was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year. Wisden is a very famous cricket book. They noted how he could bowl at different speeds with the same action.
- He was also named the West Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year in 1988.
- In 2004, he was chosen as one of Jamaica's five greatest cricketers of all time.
- In October 2010, Courtney Walsh was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame. This is a very high honor, and he joined 15 other West Indian players in the Hall of Fame.
See also
- List of international cricket five-wicket hauls by Courtney Walsh
Images for kids
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A graph showing Walsh's test career bowling statistics and how they have varied over time.
