Few sports revere their past like cricket. Such historical awareness can be a burden as well as an inspiration. For the best part of two decades, every Tom, Dick and Ronnie picked as an all-rounder for England existed in the almighty shadow of Ian Botham. And since the retirement of Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh in the early 2000s, every new West Indian fast bowler has had to deal with the hope that he might be the next great chin musician.
It is far too early to say Kemar Roach is a great bowler, but there is a justifiable sense that he is different to the rest. Of all the fast bowlers used by West Indies since the turn of the century, only Ambrose and Walsh have a better Test average than Roach's 28.67. In the recent series against Australia, he was the top wicket-taker of either side with 19 in three Tests and became the first West Indian to take 10 wickets in a match against the Aussies since Ambrose in 1993.
"He's a very good bowler," said the Australia captain, Michael Clarke. "For 23, he's a wonderful talent. He can swing the ball both ways, natural and reverse." There was similar admiration from the commentary box. "I was impressed with his bowling against Australia," says Michael Holding. "Especially in Barbados, when they were fighting a losing battle but he just kept on fighting, kept on running in, kept on bowling well."
Roach made his West Indies debut as a teenager, after four first-class games, in a T20 international against Australia in 2008. His first ball in international cricket was a beamer; his first legitimate ball produced a dropped catch. A Test debut came a year later, when West Indies had to pick a completely new team because of a player boycott. Thirteen wickets in two matches against Bangladesh were enough for him to keep his place when the full side toured Australia later that year. Just as cracking America can be the making of a pop band, so cracking Australia can be the making of a cricketer. Roach's life changed in the winter of 2009-10.
A compelling series-long duel with Ricky Ponting peaked in the third Test at Perth when Ponting retired hurt for the first time in his Test career after being pinned on the elbow. When he returned, at No9 in the second innings, Roach dismissed him straight away with a superb short ball that Ponting fended to short leg. It was quite a notch on the cricket coffin. He continued to harass Ponting in the recent series and, in the final Test, Ponting was caught at slip off a periscope shot as he ducked a bouncer. In six Tests, Roach has dismissed Ponting five times at a cost of 100 runs.
That eye-catching performance earned Roach a $720,000 IPL contract with the Deccan Chargers – "He probably owes me a little bit," said Ponting – although he played only two games that season. His style is more suited to Test cricket. At 5ft 8in, Roach is not an archetypal West Indies paceman. He bowls a full length that makes a batsmen's eyes widen, with sharp movement in the air or off the seam. He also has a superb yorker. Ask Zimbabwe's Vusi Sibanda, who was on 95 in a one-day international when a Roach yorker snapped his bat in half and bowled him; or Shane Watson, dramatically castled by the first ball of a Champions Trophy match in 2009.
The stock description for post-Ambrose fast bowlers has been "tearaway". That does not apply to Roach, who has an understanding of his craft that is rare in one so young. He also has an unusual degree of control – of the ball and his emotions. The bowlers he talks about reverentially are those who favour accuracy over explosiveness: the former West Indies seamer Corey Collymore, who Roach says is his favourite fast bowler of all time; and Alan Richardson, with whom he shared the new ball during a short spell at Worcestershire last season.
"One of his biggest strengths is that he has pretty good control and he doesn't bowl many bad deliveries," says Holding. "That is important in a fast bowler. He can put the ball pretty much where he wants it and he doesn't have to slow down to do that." Pace, accuracy, movement and a full length; it's quite the package.
Roach's delivery has been timed at up to 94.5mph and there is a little of Simon Jones in the way a relatively short, gentle run up is followed by an explosion at the crease. He does not abuse his talent. There is little sign of ego or excess; everything is done with wickets in mind. He can cut his pace and adapt to conditions, and has already had decent success on the subcontinent. A five-for in Sri Lanka was followed by an excellent World Cup that included the second hat-trick by a West Indian in an ODI, against Holland. His 10 wickets against Australia at Trinidad last month also came on a slow turner.
Most of those were the consequence of bowling full and straight, but the ruthless bullying of Ponting shows Roach has more than one way to skin an opponent. His skiddy bouncer can be on batsmen before they realise and he is not shy when it comes to roughing people up. "I don't think he has any problems with that," says Holding. "I don't see him talking to anyone on the field or sledging people. I think that is good. He has the ability to do what he has to do with the ball, and that's enough talking."
Roach may not do much talking, but the chatter about him is becoming louder by the day.
