da leao： For one reason or another, and with proper justification, CourtneyWalsh has been a shining light in the gloom that has continued toenvelop West Indies cricket this past year
da fazobetai： Tony Cozier19-Apr-2001For one reason or another, and with proper justification, CourtneyWalsh has been a shining light in the gloom that has continued toenvelop West Indies cricket this past year.The game’s oldest Test player will again be the centre of emotionalattention over the next few days at Sabina Park, in his nativeKingston, as he comes to the end of the longest and most celebratedcareer of any West Indian cricketer.And Walsh expressed one wish yesterday.It would be nice to have a Test match win here in Jamaica for thefinal Test match, he said. I’m hoping for that and I am still veryoptimistic.Optimistic rather than realistic, given the West Indies have now gone13 Tests without winning one.Walsh’s first Test was marked by an innings victory for the WestIndies over Australia at the WACA in Perth in 1984. It would be afitting finale should his last produce a similar result.Back then, he joined statistically and actually the strongest WestIndies team of all. Success came as a matter of course.He leaves arguably the weakest of West Indies team but, as he notedyesterday, it remains in the rebuilding process.When Walsh, 38, walks from the ground for the last time in the fifthand final Test, he will wave a poignant farewell to the assembledthousands and take his leave after more Tests than any other WestIndian, and any other fast bowler (132).He would have added to his incredible tally of 513 wickets, havingalready extended the record for most Test wickets he broke with his435th against Zimbabwe to emotional scenes at Sabina just over a yearago.Such occasions have become commonplace for Walsh since. There wereheartfelt farewells from English and Australian crowds and players atthe Oval and the Sydney Cricket Ground as he made his way off thoseground for the last time.A month ago, he crowned the 50th Test match at the Queen’s Park Ovalwith his 500th Test wicket, a cricketing Everest. In Guyana, Trinidadand Tobago and Barbados he has been decorated with high nationalhonours.And now Sabina comes around again.Walsh has given retiring thought more than once before. This time, heknows within himself that it is time to go, that, if his bowlingremains the highest quality, his fielding is not.Basically, I was looking for this to be my last Test match and nothinghas happened to change that at this point in time.All Courtney Walsh wants is a victory to see him out. Is that too muchto ask?
