Today's pacers are not strong enough, says Courtney Walsh

Coping with injuries is the most challenging aspect for pace bowlers across the world

Coping with injuries is the most challenging aspect for pace bowlers across the world.


Courtney Walsh at MIG yesterday. Pic/Shadab Khan 

Are the fundamentals of coaching misplaced; is it due to over-coaching or can it be put down to excessive cricket?

West Indies' legendary fast bowler Courtney Walsh (51) is qualified to talk about the injury factor considering he bowled 40,000 balls in international cricket.

"Work ethics is important. You often see fast bowlers struggle to continue or stay injury-free after a few Test series and that's because their body is not prepared for the workload.

They burst onto the international scene and then drop out.

"Nowadays, pace bowlers are not strong enough. They struggle to stay injury-free.

Pace bowlers have to be fit all the time because the demands are so much," Walsh told reporters on the sidelines of a pace bowling talent hunt programme at the MIG Cricket Club yesterday.

Pitches to blame
Flatter wickets and batsman-friendly rules add to the pace bowlers' woes.

"Oh yes, flat wickets are a concern. When we played, the wickets were quite good. Now, the bowlers have to work twice harder to get their wickets. They have to bowl three spells in a day (in Tests).

Bats are better too
"Bats are also of superior quality. So, everything is in favour of the batsman.

"Batsmen are made comfortable in ODIs and T20s while the bowlers have to work harder and harder. So, injuries will happen at some point," said Walsh, who claimed 519 and 227 wickets in Tests and ODIs respectively.

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