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| | Monday, 23 April, 2001, 20:14 GMT 21:14 UK Celebrate Courtney Walsh  Courtney Walsh has retired from Test cricket as the first and only man to take 500 wickets at the highest level. The 38-year-old bowed out in front of an adoring Sabina Park crowd after he guided the West Indies to a 130-run win over South Africa. Revered in all cricketing circles Walsh will be particularly remembered in his native Jamaica and in Bristol, where he devoted 14 years of county cricket to Gloucestershire. Pay your tributes to a cricketing legend whose humour and candour will forever be associated with West Indian cricket.
Courtney Walsh took his first Test wicket against Australia as a 22-year-old. Bowling alongside Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall and Michael Holding the young Jamaican could call upon advice from three fast bowling greats. Sixteen years on and the advice has not gone to waste - Walsh has eclipsed all of those who he bowled with and those from the rest of the world. Walsh dismissed Zimbabwe's Henry Olonga in 2000 to go past Kapil Dev in the list of all time wicket takers - and has since added 85 more. His 519 Test scalps have come at 24.46 a piece - a record that may never be broken. In doing so he sent done more than 5,000 overs in Test cricket. It is with leather in hand rather than willow in gloves that Courtney Walsh will be remembered. The unenviable record of most Test ducks is also firmly in the West Indian's hands: 43 ducks in 128 matches. In Britain Walsh will be particularly remembered in Gloucestershire. Walsh devoted 14 years to the county and developed a special relationship with the club and the fans. Is there one particular moment from Walsh's career that springs to mind? Pay your tributes to a cricketing and Caribbean legend.
In my more than 2 decades of watching cricket, Courtney Walsh is perhaps the only fast bowler I have positively relished watching for the subtleties of his bowling as opposed to the normal all guns booming style of many others. Also proved that you need not be nasty to be a good quickie. All of us will miss him. Talk about going out on top! Taking 85 test wickets in the last year of your career speaks for itself. He is a truly magnificent sportsman - and I mean that in the true sense of the word. A fierce but fair competitor on the field and a gentleman off it. You were a Legend! A Master! A Great! Cricket is going to miss you Courtney Walsh. You have been an inspiration to many young and current cricketers.
Without a doubt one of the best bowlers the world has seen, but moreover, the reason to watch an entire WI innings. His batting never failed to make my day. He will be sorely missed. When God made bowlers, the mould was broken after Courtney Walsh. You will be surely missed, not only by the West Indies, but the Cricket World. A true genius. Courtney Walsh was a man of few words but when your records orchestrate a Symphony, no wonder. The cricketing world will not see another Walsh simply because nobody can measure up to his gentlemanly qualities. No words are enough & no sentence is complete to describe how west indies/ world cricket will miss Courtney.
Courtney will go down as an absolute cricket legend. I'll never forget the guard of honour the England players formed for him and Curtley in the last test of the summer, it spoke volumes of the respect this pair commanded. Hopefully, Courtney will still be involved with the game, as it won't be the same without the Walsh smile! 0ne of the greatest bowlers of all time. How he could keep plugging away at 38 with a pretty ordinary attack without Curtley was beyond me. But it will be sad to lose one of the games great characters. Lets wish him all the best in his retirement, he deserves it. I had the pleasure to meet Courtney off the cricket field, whilst playing golf. Not only can I confirm that his golf is as bad as his batting, but also that - off the cricket field - he is the most laid-back, gentle fun and pleasant company you could wish for. A true gent - Courtney, I salute you. Enjoy your retirement and get lots of practice with your swing!
What can one say about this gentle giant. Words fail me. He is surely the last of the dying breed of players who believe in sportsmanship, loyalty, honesty. The fact that three teams, England, Australia and now South Africa gave him a guard of honour speaks volumes of the high esteem he is held in the cricketing world. Never again will the world of cricket see the likes of him. I sincerely hope that the WICB utilises his services. Walsh has been the pillar of strength for the Windies for last decade, winning matches single-handedly and standing tall in defeat. Among the finest cricketers of all times, his retirement marks the end of an era. I salute the greatest cricketer of my time.
Rey Khan, USA Courtney was the greatest when it comes to gentlemen�s game and also he proved himself and to the cricket loving world that he is the greatest bowler in the world. Courtney, I wish you all the best. Mr. C. Walsh is one of the greatest bowler I have seen in the cricket world, and at the same time a great human being. He respects everybody and plays it very cool. His retirement is a really big loss for this game. I salute him as a great bowler and good human being. Hopefully we will see him again playing this game in some capacity if our luck is good. Walsh will be remembered for the final wicket he took in Adelaide to give a thrilling victory to the Windies. Courtney was a true gentleman, on and off the pitch. He always turned up to my club's benefit game each season - even staying overnight in his car one year! My favourite memory of him was at one of these games, when fielding on the boundary, he asked to borrow the local policeman's bike, then sped across the square and out of the gates! He did return shortly afterwards though. A great man.
Rodger Edwards, UK For any bowler to take as many wickets as Courtney Walsh is a fantastic achievement, and one I feel will never be beaten. Even as the West Indies fell meekly to England last summer, Walsh's bowling was by far the best on show from both teams. The Lords test match last year must go down as one of the best of all time, and not because England skittled the Windies for 54. But because one man fought so hard to try and salvage his teams pride after they had let him down badly with the bat. See you Courtney, and thanks for the memories. In a dull match at the Kennington Oval, heading for a draw, Courtney had us all in stitches mimicking Dave Shepherd as he hopped about with the score on a Nelson. A true great with the personality to match. Cricket is certainly less for his retirement.
Omar, UK Courtney Walsh was a genuine sportsman, always a joy to watch and it will be sad to see him go. He was a true gentleman on and off the field, one of a dying breed and a terrific bowler. But the one thing that defined him was his big heart, always giving one hundred percent for his country no matter what. Good luck Courtney for your future and I hope you continue to impart your immense knowledge about the game to the young bowlers because you are indeed a legend. If in a sport you want to know how good a player can get, he can surely not surpass Courtney Walsh in cricket. He is without any doubt the best this game has to offer.
Hasaan Bhutta, Pakistan/Canada Sad to see one of the all time legends finally call it a day. As a genuinely outstanding character, both on and off the field, I'm sure you have touched the hearts of many, as you have mine. Keep up the good work Courtney. Dear Walsh, You have been a revelation in your own brand, I hope your achievement will revive the West-Indian team so they will again emerge as a super power. All through your career you have been one of my favourite bowlers. The famous duo (Walsh, and Ambrose) will be remembered for hunting in two's. I loved to watch such a combination and I feel lucky enough to do so. Great Kudos to you and Ambrose. I think even the falling wickets and flying bails will be wailing for losing you in the field. I wish you good luck for your happy living with your family.
Jeff Scholey, UK Well, I am a great fan of Courtney and I have watched him in action for more than a decade. He is a very composed cricketer, a thorough gentleman and an excellent team-man. When I heard of his retirement today, I could not control my tears. The cricket world will miss you Courtney! He must be very satisfied that his career started with a victory and ended with one. It's a rare feat. Good luck to Walsh.. Here goes the last of the West Indian greats of the eighties. One of the true cricketing giants ever and what a sportsman, too! He is sure going to be missed by cricket lovers all over the world. Thank you Walsh, for all entertainment you provided in the past two decades and have a great retirement!
Abeytu Konhey, Zimbabwe Courtney Walsh IS a great bowler: that he has taken so many wickets in this past year is a testimony to that fact. No other bowler besides Richard Hadlee, in recent times, has retired while still a potent wicket taking force. Four years ago everyone thought that either Warne or Akram would break Kapil's record, but that Walsh has emerged as the highest wicket taker of all time, is simply an amazing cricketing feat. More importantly, he is a gentleman cricketer who played the game as it was intended to be played. This in a time when sledging and gamesmanship have become so common. So cheers to Courtney Walsh, the nice guy who finished first. You are the best Test cricketer in the world. You did a great job for the West Indies and for the cricketing world. We will always remember you. Good luck for the future. The best moment is always going to be when he asked Salim Jaffar to get back to his crease in the World Cup. His courtesy cost the West Indies the match and their potential chance of entering semi-final . He ended his career on a winning note, but more importantly, he played a major role in that victory. He is the last guy from Lloyd's army and now he is gone. All the West Indies need to do, is follow his foot steps to reach the pinnacle again. Good luck Mr. Walsh in whatever you do. | |
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