Malcolm Marshall

The first thing that you noticed about him when he would come in to bowl was the fact that he was short. In fact at 5’10”, he looked a mere toddler when standing with the rest of his formidable above 6’5” bowling comrades. But the next thing you noticed was the fear he managed to generate in batsmen as he came in to bowl with his erratic run up, delivering his breathtaking scorchers. It wouldn’t be an understatement to say that Malcolm Marshall was the greatest and the most awe inspiring of the famed West Indian fast bowling quartet, a terror amongst the batting fraternity and the most useful asset for his team.

Born on April 18, 1958 in Bridgetown, Barbados, Malcolm Denzil Marshall alias ‘Maco’ was partly taught cricket by his grandfather, who helped to bring him up after his father was killed in a road accident. He started playing his cricket early and as a teenager was playing for a number of local sides as a regular fast bowler and a part time batsman. His first senior appearance was for Barbados against Jamaica which was a rather forgettable chapter for him. Four days later, he made up for his follies by taking 6 wickets against the same Jamaican side. He immediately came into national reckoning and in less than a year was in the national squad. He had a rocky beginning in international cricket and found himself out of the squad in a year, but a series of consistent performances in county cricket for Hampshire brought him right back in the team in 1982. After that there was no looking back for him. With more experience and a wiser head on his shoulders, he began his wicket taking fest and peaked just at the right time. In seven successive Test series from 1982/83 to 1985/86 he took 21 or more wickets each time, in the last five of them averaging lesser than 20.

A number of interesting chapters mark this pinnacle period of his life. In the series against India in 1983, he grabbed 33 wickets and systematically terrorized the Indian batting brigade lead by Gavaskar. His ability to extract bouncers from slow turning tracks was baffling to all. He also finished with a batting average of 34, having scored two fifties in the series, proving his worth as an effective all rounder.

The most interesting fairytale incident from his life which has become cricket legend now is how he managed to capture seven wickets in a test innings against England in Headingly while bowling with a broken thumb. To top it all, he was part of an above 50 run last wicket partnership with Larry Gomes in which he batted with one hand… never has world cricket seen a character as fierce and at the same time as colorful as Malcolm Marshall. In his test career that lasted upto 1992, he captured 376 wickets at an average of 20.73 which happens to be record for the best average for any bowler having taken more than 200 wickets. He bowling skill was not limited to sheer pace and excruciating. He is considered one of the most skilled and intelligent fast bowlers ever and was reputed to have almost every single delivery in his repertoire. With his ability to swing the bowl in both directions at enormous pace, he was a nightmare for any batsman.

Malcolm also played a lot of first class cricket for Hampshire in England and later Natal in South Africa. His international career came to an end in the 1992 world cup with a dismal performance after which he himself decided to throw in the towel. He did however play county cricket upto 1996. It was in the same year that he was handed the mantle of being the coach of both West Indies and Hampshire. He continued to coach West Indies upto the 1999 world cup when fate intervened in the cruelest of manner. In the middle of the world cup, he was diagnosed with colon cancer. He breathed his last in his home town, where he died on 4 November aged just 41. It was a great shock to the cricketing fraternity and of course his family. He is survived by his wife and two children.

Malcolm Marshall was a man of the masses. A genial character off the field contrary to the fierce character he was on it, he was loved by the audience which flocked in numbers to see him bowl. He was a huge favorite amongst the Indian cricket fans after the 1983 series. He influenced the bowling styles of a number of bowlers including Shaun Pollock. A Malcolm Marshall memorial trophy is awarded in fond remembrance to the winner of all the West Indies v/s England test series.