Legends of Cricket: Bettor.com’s World XI – Malcolm Marshall
Just as the death of Buddy Holly in 1959 was mourned by Don McLean as the day music died, the demise of Malcolm Marshall in 1999 marked the death of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/West-Indies-c760 cricket - an era of global dominance by the Windies came to an end. Along with Vivian Richards,
Malcolm 'Maco' Marshall formed the fundamental pillars of sublime excellence for West Indian cricket.
His death shook the pillars of cricket and the entire cricket fraternity mourned in sorrow. He died of colon cancer at the young age of 41 that ravaged him for a period of 6 months and eventually took his life.
While the entire world of cricket became prone to hunting with bowling pairs, Wasim and Waqar, Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, Allan Donald and Shaun Pollock, Lillee and Thomson, the West Indian team hunted the opposition like wolves in a pack with Holding,
Garner, Croft, Roberts, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bishop-c48135, Walsh, and Ambrose. To deliver the last rites, Marshall was introduced and for a period of three years from 1982-83 to 1985-86, he was simply sublime, taking 21 or more wickets in seven consecutive series with an average
that sent shivers down the opposition sides with an average of less than 20.
His brilliance is reflective of his series in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 against India where he took 33 wickets, a mammoth achievement in its own right and dismissed Gavaskar, Amarnath, Gaekwad and Dilip Vengsarkar. On the relatively dead tracks of the subcontinent, he finished
with figures of 5 maidens in 8 overs, conceding only 9 runs and taking 4 wickets. To say that these figures are astonishing would be an understatement.
However, despite the presence of such great bowlers, Marshall was greedy and wanted a greater share in hunting opponents. This lust for wickets is reflective in his statistics, having taken 5 wickets in a match 22 times and 10 wickets in a match 4 times.
When being compared to the greatest fast bowlers of all times, one wonders what it is that Marshall might lack.
The only thing that he seemed to lack was his height. At 5 ft 9 inches, he was not the tallest of the West Indian bowlers. However, he somehow magically managed to turn the disadvantage into an advantage by skidding the ball on the surface of the pitch.
His bowling was unorthodox, as he came running into the crease from a fair distance during the early days of his career, an open-chested action and his arm whirled at blinding pace like a Tiger Wood’s golf swing.
The bouncer was this hunter’s most potent weapon and he had a wicked sense of humour as he subjected the lesser batsmen to this lethal assault weapon, leaving the poor fellows a little bemused and a little bruised.
Many would argue against the selection of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Marshall-c74817, basing their arguments on the brilliance of Lillee. However where Lillee failed, Marshall delivered. On the seemingly dead pitches of the subcontinent without the help of reverse swing, Marshall outperformed
Lillee. He was devastating, he was unforgiving and he was uncompromising against those that mocked him. He would unleash his fury against them with the bowl and leave them dumbstruck. His pace, his variety and his sheer resilience set him apart from many others
of his era.
“Even in the formidable line-up of West Indians whose speed and ferocity dominated world cricket for the last quarter of the 20th century, Marshall stood out: he allied sheer pace to consistent excellence for longer than anyone else,” Wisden writes about
Marshall.
Marshall surely has been a true joy to the game of cricket and he was brutal against arch enemies, with his career statistics against Vengsarkar proving so. In 16 matches, Marshall got him out 10 times. Marshall was surely the greatest of his era and therefore
we have included him in Bettor.com’s World XI.
In the words of a former cricketer, “Malcolm Marshall slithered to the crease on the angle, pitter-pat feet twinkling as if in dancing shoes. It was reminiscent of a sidewinder on the attack. Purists occasionally criticised his action as too open, but it
had method: he maintained the mastery of orthodox out swing and in swing from a neutral position without telegraphing his intent.”
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