'I told Lara not to get out'

In the second instalment of our two-part interview with West Indian fast bowling legend and Bangladesh fast bowling coach Courtney Walsh, the Jamaican talks about how the game has changed since he started playing, and what he -- the record-holder for most ducks in Tests -- said to Brian Lara during their short but crucial last-wicket stand in Barbados in 1999. The following is the full transcript of the great fast bowler's interview with The Daily Star's Sakeb Subhan. 

The Daily Star (TDS): Your career as a bowler, captain, then as a selector... you've been in cricket for four decades now.

Courtney Walsh (CW): I've been in cricket forever (laughs).

TDS: So how do you think the game has changed?

CW: Ah, the game has evolved, the game has changed. I mean T20 has brought a different aspect to the game. It brings more bums in the seats and adds more spectators. I still think Test cricket is the best, the ultimate test of everything. But any version of the game that can be played, I will cherish it. What I noticed over the years is that a lot of the rule changes have been in favour of the batsmen. You know, they cut the seam off the ball. The wickets are flatter, the bats are getting bigger. I can bowl one, maybe two bouncers an over. Everything is more in favour of the batsmen now. To me it's not an even contest or as even a contest as it could have been or should have been.

TDS: What do you think drives that?  

CW: I think because everybody wants to see runs being scored. Lots of runs being scored. You never hear much, or it doesn’t really happen that 

TDS: Or is it easier to assume that people want to see runs. I’m sure people want to see good bowling as well.

CW: It’s the purists, the genuine cricket pundits want to see good cricket. This is not for the cricket pundits, the changes. The genuine cricket pundits want to see a good game of cricket. They want to see a good contest between the bat and ball. I think the powers that may be, or the people who may have a lot more to say about the game or the laws or whatever it is, they’re the only ones who can change it. You cut the seam of the ball... the balls are a lot flatter, the tracks are a lot flatter, most of the times these days. The bats have gotten bigger. Everything, more or less, just weighs in favour of the batsmen, or seems to weigh in favour of the batsmen. I might be just speaking from a bowler’s perspective, but that’s my observation. 

TDS: Also, the boundaries are getting shorter as well.

CW: The boundaries are getting shorter and everything. When we played there were certain grounds you knew that as a bowler you have a chance, and certain grounds as a batsman you have a chance, and certain grounds it’s an even contest. Now, 90 per cent of the grounds the bowlers haven’t got a chance. 

TDS: How do you see fast bowling in this day and age?

CW: That’s the only reason why we probably haven’t got as many fast bowlers as we used to, because it’s not encouraging for some of the youngsters. The wickets are flat, there is no fun in bowling flat. But there’s a lot of good fast bowlers obviously, who are honing their skills. The talent is still out there. Once you have a love for the game, they will come through but be that as it may the fact remains that everyone wants to play the shorter version more than the longer version.

TDS: It pays more.

CW: It definitely does, so you can’t argue with that. 

TDS: Training regimes have changed so much over the years. In your day, it was probably more about developing the bowling muscles – just keep bowling and you’ll be fine. You’ve very rarely had bowling injuries, if any.

CW: I missed one Test match due to a hamstring injury which I picked up in Australia. But you are right. My workload was just running in and bowling, just light weights in the gym and that came later on in my career. Light weights in the gym and just repetition. I did a lot of running, bowling and body weights exercise: push-ups, sit-ups and stuff like that. I didn’t have a use for a gym until later on in my career.

TDS: So with players getting injured so often nowadays, do you think that’s a factor?

CW: I think some of it is, because the kids just don’t bowl enough or as many of them just don’t bowl enough because of the rules and regime they had where when they go they bowl four oves, three overs. Yes, it needs to be monitored and it comes to building up, you should be able to bowl as much as you can without overdoing it. But you build up slowly, you don’t go one day and you bowl 20 overs. You build up, improve. If you are only going to bowl five overs a game, the body’s never going to get accustomed to that, Colin Croft used to come and bowl for the whole practice session. Myself, I used to do the same thing as well. I’ve seen that Malcolm used to go and bowl a long spell and that’s because he wants to get into his rhythm, he wants to be more powerful and be more strong. You pace yourself, and by doing that when you are in the game it becomes a lot easier, so if you put pressure on your body, the body’;s accustomed to it. 

TDS: You were also one of the best bowlers in the subcontinent, which is like spinners going to England and bowling well, it’s just another level. Is  there something different you used to do?

CW: You just have to work hard when you’re going to India, Pakistan or Sri Lanka. Unfortunately I came here on only one tour. You know it’s going to be hard work, so you prepare yourself for it, you go and get trained for that specific tour. You condition your mind knowing that it’s going to be subcontinent pitches, and you work a little bit harder and you practise your skills. 

TDS: You were the captain of West Indies. It must be a little painful for you now seeing their decline, especially in Test cricket.

CW: It was a tremendous honour to captain the West Indies team. Back in those days I just gave it everything I had, and I enjoyed it. I'm a bit sad now to see that we're not as dominant or we're not competing as well as I know we can or we should. The ability and the talent is still in the West Indies. We just need a common ground, a common understanding so we can get the best of both worlds where our best players are prepared and committed to play for us and it will be tremendous to have that going. The sooner we can get that sorted out, the better for West Indies.

TDS: Is the passion for the game still there?

CW: I want to say yes but I don't know, I am not as close to the players as I used to be. I know that the passion for the game from the fans is still there and they want to see the guys performing well. I know from their standpoint it is, but not being that close to the players I don't know what's happening in their heads.

TDS: The West Indies school of fast bowling is a little different from the rest of the world, say Australians, who sledge. Have you ever sledged?

CW: I can't remember sledging. I think we used to let the ball do the talking. I remember there was one incident with Mike, he said something and I thought it was directed at me and I retaliated and then got him out and stuff. To his credit he came on the field when the game was over and said that what he said was for himself. He was never one to speak or chastise. It was just funny. So I just said to him: 'Thank you for saying it so I could hear, because it just pumped me up,' (laughs). He was one of the most respected cricketers I played against. Strange to hear it coming from him, but he clarified it. I am not one to sledge and never did, just let the ball do the talking. As the boys would say I probably had 'evil eyes', the glare and the stare.

TDS: How is Bangladesh's fast bowling lining up?

CW: We have a good pool of fast bowlers. I am hoping in a couple of months they will hone their skills and get some experience. Tours like this give them experience and give them exposure. When they are home they don't play as much or they don't bowl as much, so when they come on tour it helps. The New Zealand tour was pretty helpful for that. I know there was only one Test in India, but if you could get more of these tours, more Test matches and the warm-up games to give them that exposure to bowl against quality opposition, that's the only way they can learn their trade. You can tell them as much as you want, but if they don't go in the middle and try to execute and get that confidence then it's going to be challenging. There is talent there, they have the ability and the guys are working so I hope that we can get better and better with each tour.

TDS: You've been here less than a year. Have you yet had a chance to see the depth in domestic cricket?

CW: Not the full depth. I have seen the guys who have come to train in the camps or in practice. I have seen a couple of guys who have played in the Bangladesh Premier League, but I have not been there yet to see the first-class games or club matches so to speak. I heard about some of them, but unless you see them for yourselves it is a bit difficult. But all the ones who have come to our net sessions are the ones you have to take note of. I make a mental note of some of them or I jot down their names and hopefully I'll see them again.

What I'd like to do at some point of time is to organise a bowling camp with a couple of other international bowlers for one week or two weeks in Bangladesh, once the time permits. I am going to be looking at [the period] after the Champions Trophy to see where the gap is and to see if I can get the board to sort of get involved in that. Maybe bring Sir Curtly [Ambrose] over and look for maybe one or two others and have a fast bowling camp and try to encourage, develop and improve.

TDS: You might not like this question, but did you practise batting much?

CW: When I was a kid, yes. But not towards the end of my career, which was something I probably regret not doing. But we had so many good batsmen getting so many runs in those days. I didn't work on the batting as much as I could have or should have.

TDS: What did Lara say to you when you joined him at the crease in Barbados [when Walsh was the last man in and Brain Lara was batting on 140-odd with seven runs left to seal a famous win against Australia in 1999]?

CW: No, it's what I said to him (absolute straight face).

TDS: What did you say to him?

CW: I said to him that if you get out we're gonna lose this game so you better not get out. And he looked at me, and I said: "I'm not gonna get out".

TDS: And you were confident facing [Jason] Gillespie?

CW: I faced Gillespie and I faced [Glenn] McGrath and I didn't get out.

TDS: So you were more nervous about Lara getting out?

CW: Yes, I was more concerned, not nervous, more concerned.