'He's so different than any bowler I have seen': Curtly Ambrose backs India pacer to take 400 Test wickets
Curtly Ambrose showered Jasprit Bumrah with praises, admitting that he's a fan of the India pacer and that he comes across a rare breed.
No discussion on fast bowlers is complete without the mention of the great Sir Curtly Ambrose. As the West Indies fast bowling spearhead from the late 80s until 2000, 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, Ambrose is a legend when it comes to fast bowlers.
Surely, when one fast bowling genius talks about another, it makes for a fascinating read. 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, Ambrose showered Bumrah with praises, admitting that he's a fan of the India pacer and that he comes across a rare breed.
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"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.
Asked by Gupta whether Bumrah can end up with 400 Test wickets, Ambrose sounded optimistic, 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 on 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 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. However, 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 in 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," Ambrose added.
