Former West Indies fast bowler Courtney Walsh was a terror to face for batsmen, but the Windies legend is now just happy to reminisce about his time as a player. Sachin Tendulkar is definitely not short of admirers and Walsh is certainly one of them as he calls the Indian great the best Indian batsman.
"For me, Sachin has been the number one Indian batsman. Sometimes he has challenged me and at other times I have done so and we were very competitive. When we catch up there is respect from both sides," stated Walsh, who took 519 wickets in 132 Tests, making him the fifth greatest wicket-taker of all time.
Speaking on the occasion of a stand at the Sabina Park Stadium being named after him, Walsh highlighted the problems facing West Indian cricket at the moment.
"Most changes are for good but in the West Indies team, consistency is not there, confidence is not there. There is potential and some are very good fast bowlers. We are working and I am sure we would be back soon," he said.
Despite having a lengthy career, Walsh believes he could have carried on playing for longer, but stepped back to give youngsters a chance to shine.
"I left a little early. West Indies was touring Zimbabwe and I thought it was time to move on, give youngsters a break.
"But those youngsters didn't come through and so I could have carried on a little longer," he said.
Sledging has always courted controversy, but Walsh is adamant at upholding the spirit of the game and revealed that he never felt the need to sledge.
"I never sledged for it was important to maintain the spirit of the game. For me the ball did the talking," he concluded.
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