Tell us what you think

A national hero in Jamaica, Courtney Walsh began his Test career at a time when West Indies were unquestionably the strongest team in the world.

As well as an array of magnificent batsmen, they also possessed a fearsome four-man pace attack, which also included Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding.

Their fortunes changed in the 1990s as members of their all-conquering team left the international scene, but the proud and tireless Walsh continued to pick up wickets all around the world.

He formed a dangerous new ball partnership with Curtly Ambrose and finally surpassed Kapil Dev's world record of 434 Test wickets when he dismissed Zimbabwe's Henry Olonga last year.

Ambrose called it a day after last summer's series in England, but Walsh soldiered on and has now achieved his 500-wicket goal.

Is Walsh the best fast bowler in history? Or is his success simply a question of talent, allied to longevity?

Where does he rank among the great West Indies pacemen like Hall, Griffith, Roberts, Holding, Marshall and Ambrose?

Tell us what you think.

One could possibly argue interminably as to whether or not he is the best. Ultimately, this achievement will speak for itself. Courtney Walsh represents what is best about the game of cricket, and we should all be grateful for the opportunity to witness such a unique talent in action.
Len White, USA

I think he is one of the greats but not the greatest! I love the way he bowls and keeps bowling. According to me Holding, Marshall, Lillie, Hadlee and Akram are the greatest fast bowlers ever. Walsh is very consistent and experienced but not deadly, but a feat of 500 wickets is the one that will always keep him in the books and people's mind.
Nirav, India

For anyone to say that a bowler who has reached 500 wickets is not the best ever (so far) is truly amazing. He has taken over 100 more wickets that some of the other great fast bowlers yet it is dismissed because of his longevity. You guys should be ashamed!
Marc Goodridge, Canada

Walsh has lasted for 18years, this is an acheivement in itself. Also his 500 wicketes is awesome. Also his one-day figures of five wickets for one run against Sri Lanka will always be fresh in ones mind. He may not be as dashing as others but truly his deeds speak of himself. It takes such qualities and gentleness to be a truly great fast bowler.
Kalpesh, Hong Kong

I would say he is the fittest and most consistent ever, but not even close to being the best ever. There are and were at least 20 other bowlers better than him, people such as Sir Richard Hadlee and late Malcolm Marshall.
Denim Clyde, USA

Walsh sure is the best. The fact that he has had an international career stretching 17 years as a fast bowler and is still physically up to international level says a lot. He rocks! Go Walsh! You are the best.
Nandita Ahmed, Bangladesh

As a competitor, Courtney is up there with the best but, as a strike bowler, he falls short of the truly greats like Lillie, Hadlee, Akram,Donald, McGrath and Imran. Amongst West Indians, I couldn't place him with Marshall, Ambrose, Holding or Roberts, he's more on a par with Joel Garner. Walsh's great assets are his durability, longevity and his total commitment. His 500 wickets will take a lot of beating. If McGrath or Warne don't get there, I would think that it will be Muralitharan who will eventually top Walsh's record.
Dave Atkinson, England

'Greatness' is a word to be used sparingly. For me, it can only be used in relation to Marshall, Holding, Garner, Ambrose and Roberts amongst WI bowlers; Lillee, Hadlee, and Imran amongst the rest. Walshy is definitely the greatest in terms of longevity, but he falls into the 'nearly great' class, with Donald and Thomson. The only modern players who will eventually join the greats are McGrath and Wasim Akram. Marshall and Lillee were the greatest of the greats!
C S Grant, UK

There have been deadlier, faster and more talented bowlers, but Courtney must surely go down as the most relentless of the modern era. He actually improved with age, in a time when international cricketers are playing more Tests than ever before and let us not forget that despite his workload, he has never shirked from one-day games or matches for Jamaica or Gloucestershire. He may not have been the best West Indian bowler of all time (that was surely Marshall), but he will be the most missed when he finally takes his well-deserved retirement. Many congratulations, Cuddy!
Max Freedman, England

The best ever, no. Courtney may be an awesome bowler, but not the best. If anything, all you can really say, is that his physical endurance to play for so many years is very impressive.
Glenn Mathis, South Africa

When the West Indies toured Australia in 1984, he was an unknown getting to bowl with some of the greats like Garner, Marshall, and Holding. Who would have thought after 17 years, Walshy would down in history as the greatest wicket taker. He is a gentleman on and off the field. Congratulations Walshy, a great ambassador for cricket.
Jason Thi, Australia

Rather than say Walsh is the best, I would put him in the group of all time best bowlers. He has shown, on and off the field, strength and stamina and also gained the respect of players and fans alike. This quality alone makes him worthy of all the praise being given and it will be a sad day for cricket when he hangs up his boots.
Adrian, Trinidad & Tobago

Michael Holding was the best fast bowler I ever saw with Wes Hall and Dennis Lillee coming close behind.
Terence Humphreys, Ghana

Walsh is a great bowler, but Michael Holding is surely the greatest fast bowler ever. Anyone who saw his singled handed destruction of England in 1976, followed by his teams domination of world cricket for the next 10 years would agree. Holding had everything - pure naked speed, swing and movement off the seam both ways. He could also get something out of a lifeless pitch that other bowlers simply couldn't. He also had that intimidation\fear factor - batsmen simply did not want to face him. That is perhaps the greatest compliment.
Derek Leslie, Scotland

In picking fast bowlers for the best West Indies team, Walsh will certainly be included in the top three, especially if, hypothetically, it's going to be a good batting wicket. According to Viv Richards, it's good to have someone in the team that you are guarenteed will give 100%.
Selwyn Rodulfo, Trinidad & Tobago

Walsh may not be technically the best ever - I would say that lies between Trueman, Lillee and Marshall. However, no overseas player ever gave us much to his adopted county as Courtney did to Gloucestershire. He was an inspiration and a delight, and will never be forgotten here in Bristol.
John Rogers, England

While Courtney may have not had the raw pace and menace of some of the other greats, I still think that he should be considered as in the top 3 of great bowlers. His attention to his fitness to keep going this long, his fantastic gentleman like attitude and metronomic line and length more than make up for any slight lagging in the other departments. Hadlee is the greatest bowler but Walsh is a very close second
Joel Hockley, UK

Walsh is without a doubt a fantastic bowler, one of the all time greats. However, when put into context Richard Hadlee of New Zealand is far and away the greatest achiever. His consistency, strike rate and average is second to none.
Karl, England

The remarkable thing about Courtney Walsh is his longevity, and his ability to bowl truely heroically long spells. As others have said he is not the best ever, Hadlee must take that accolade, as he had no strike partner at the other end, then Marshall, Holding, but I would want Courtney in my team any day.
William Lack, England

Courtney deserves praise for reaching the milestone of 500 wickets, but I feel sure his contemporaries would have reached the same if they had have gone on longer. That is where difference is, Courtney did carrry on, and he deserves the credit fot not leaving West Indies completly in the lurch when things havn't gone well for them lately.
Warren Cooper, England

To say that Courtney has taken 500 wickets just because he has played the most matches is beyond belief.The fact that all the other great bowlers such as Lillee,Thompson, Marshall etc did not play as many is not Courtneys fault. He has kept himself in prime condition and got himself onto the field which is a feat in itself. He has taken 500 wickets because he is simply the best "line and length" fast bowler that has ever been. Well done Courtney and keep shutting the know alls up!!
Vincent hughes, liverpool,england

Remember the World Cup in India/Pakistan in 1987? A young Courtney with tears in his eyes after failing to prevent in his last over an England one day victory. This summarises the commitment and emotion with which Courtney played his cricket for the West Indies. He deserves all the acclaim and he is truly the greatest bowler in test match history.
Simon Hargreaves, England

Let's just say that Walsh is a great fast bowler who has luckily soldiered on for many years. He might have claimed the most scalps but his relatively high average and strike rate, puts him in a bracket behind Lillee, Willis, Marshall, Hadlee and Imran.
Ali Sultan, Middlebury, USA

I would put Cuddy in the pantheon of the greatest of the great. He has taken wickets against all opposition and on all surfaces. In fact, it is said that the more docile the pitch is, the more effective Walsh is. Posterity would remember him as one of the all time great fast bowlers ever to have graced the cricket field.
Ramani P Easwaran, India

I don't think even Courtney would rate himself, technically and statistically, the best. However in terms of the finest of human qualities -humility, perseverance, and a willingness to learn - he has had few equals. Consider the fact that it took 80 tests to get to 300 and another 49 to get to 500. A great human being, a sportsman larger than life.
Everal, Jamaica

It really doesn't matter whether he is the greatest bowler of all time. He is the first bowler to reach 500 wickets and the record books will acknowledge that amazing milestone! He is the most durable of them all and maintained an unbelievable fitness regime. He is also a warm, sweet gentle person with a terrific sense of humour. Walshie represents what's best about West Indians at work or at play. At the end of the day, does anything else matter?
Christine, Jamaica

There's no doubt, over the last ten years or so, Courtney Walsh has been an excellent bowler. However, to rank him up there alongside the Lillee's, Marshall's, and the Holding's; the guy's who could truly turn a match, would be pushing it a bit too far. He has been a true asset and great ambassador for the game of cricket. I wish him the best.
Reggie Green, CA, USA

Courtney Walsh is definitely the best bowler ever. His performance both on and off the field is a good example of what cricket should be about.
Louis, UK

He is a great player. He might not be the greatest player in cricket history, but in my opinion he is definately one of the three greatest players. He is not only a great bowler, but also a great man and so gentle, some of modern day players should learn this from him. Cricket is a gentleman's game.To stop the situation getting worse, we need peoples like Walsh to bring back the reputation of cricket. My heartiest congratulations to such a nice person, for his brilliant achievement.
Zahid, Bangladesh

Best ever? No.Tenacious and deadly, but on a bad team. He really does not have to fight for his position, though at their peak the Windies were the best. Wasim Akram is a match winner, he's the best in my opinion.
Rehan, USA

Courtney Walsh rates very highly as a fast bowler. Obviously, with taking 500 test wickets you have to rate him as one of the all time greats. Over the years there have been many great fast bowlers including Lillee and Thompson of Australia - but I would certainly rate Walsh in the top five of all time. Well done Courtney!
Pete Bull, England

Walsh has achieved the feat with the support of his stamina. Also, he has had been very consistent in his performance. Other bowlers like Hadlee, would have achieved better if they had, had the same stamina. The record achieved by Walsh may not be erasable for many years, though Warne is a good candidate who may be able to cross the landmark.
Venkatesh Pundyavana, USA

As much as we respect and admire Courtney, he has taken 500 Test wickets because he has played more matches than any other bowler. He has improved over the years and become a great bowler as he has become number two and now number one bowler for the Windies, but he is not a Lillee or a Marshall or a Hadlee. Top of the second division.
Paul Dickson, USA

The stats speak for them selves, he is the greatest fast bowler of all time and still performing at the top level at his age is amazing.
Michael Ellis, England