Curtly Ambrose made his debut aged 24 - What if he had debuted a few years earlier?

[Hasan123]

Curtley Ambrose is widely regardless as one of the greatest bowlers to have played the game. He has a brilliant record. I was just looking at his profile and realised he made his debut at age 24 and he still ended up with 400 wickets!

Usually players of his ability make their debut around 20-22. Imagine had he made his debut around that period how many more wickets he could have ended up with!

 

[andy0204]

He was interested in other sports and his mom forced him to play cricket,He started playing cricket at the age of 20.

 

[Hasan123]

He was interested in other sports and his mom forced him to play cricket,He started playing cricket at the age of 20.

I have heard that story as well tbf. I'm speaking hypothetically if he was solely interested in cricket.

 

[Ab Fan]

It was also harder to break into WI attack which had so many legendary bowlers.

 

[Junaids]

He wasn’t even in the Leeward Islands team until 1987.

He was a clone of Joel Garner, but they were never going to drop Garner for a clone.

 

[gazza619]

The scariest fast bowler ever if you started watching cricket from the early 90s.

Loved his bowling action and when he used to have a laugh on the ground.

He would have been deadlier if he had started cricket at an earlier age.

 

[therealAB]

Same story with Donald, could have a heap more wickets

 

[Robert]

Same story with Donald, could have a heap more wickets

Agreed, barring injury he would have got 600 had he not had to wait to age 26.

 

[Bhaijaan]

Unlike with batting, bowlers are judged on their peak value. It would not have mattered if Ambrose debuted a few years earlier and had taken 100 more test wickets, he'd still be rated among the best ever. Same with Allan Donald, who is the greatest pure fast bowler ever.

 

[Markhor]

Scary bowler. That high release point and accurate length meant as a batsman you weren't always sure whether to go forward or back.

I'm watching the BBC highlights of that Lord's Test in 2000, and despite the pathetic West Indian batting, Ambrose and Walsh in their last tour of England were still bowling their heart out.

 

[Markhor]

Watching his spell now to Michael Vaughan, who is not middling a ball and could've been out three times. Finally the torture is over and he knocks him over.

 

[Robert]

Scary bowler. That high release point and accurate length meant as a batsman you weren't always sure whether to go forward or back.

I'm watching the BBC highlights of that Lord's Test in 2000, and despite the pathetic West Indian batting, Ambrose and Walsh in their last tour of England were still bowling their heart out.

An incredible match. I saw England losing in the first innings, went out to play five-a-side, came back and somehow they were batting n the second dig.

It was hard to believe that WI had been shot out for 55.

Goodness, how that felt after 16 years of being pushed around.

Then then incredible final hour, and Cork hitting that six.....

 

[Justcrazy]

One of the top bowlers of all time, very very frugal.

The line and length was impeccable , and with good bounce, dream bowler to have for any captain.

 

[ElRaja]

amazing bowler, accurate, quick, with bounce and seam movement.

pakistani fans used to go gaga over what mohamad asif could have been, well ambrose had all asifs traits and then some, with speed, stamina and height.

 

[Zaz]

A top notch bowler

It can go either way He wouldnt have necessarily been as good initially debuting his teens or esrly 20s

It takes many bowlers years to find their feet at intnl level and hence their statst suffer ala anderson So maybe it was beneficial that he came in when he did

 

[ManFan]

A top notch bowler

It can go either way He wouldnt have necessarily been as good initially debuting his teens or esrly 20s

It takes many bowlers years to find their feet at intnl level and hence their statst suffer ala anderson So maybe it was beneficial that he came in when he did

But he had only four years total experience of playing cricket at any level.

So, even in if he debuted earlier, it wouldn’t change the fact that he was so inexperienced with the game totally.