He isn't happy with the knot,so the lace is untied,and Courtney Walsh pulls his gigantic foot out of the left boot. The enormous shoe is examined closely,and the aglets are re-threaded over the vamp with a tailor's precision. The Size 18 ½ foot slips in easily this time around,and following a quick pull at the shoe-tongue,Walsh executes the knot with a sailor's grace. At the age of 48,sometimes even Walsh finds it hard to fill his own shoes; so he very well understands the plight that several fast bowlers from the West Indies have faced since the legend retired from the game over a decade ago. The point is,they shouldn't try to fill mine or anyone else's shoes,but just pave their own way in the future, he says,with his dandy Jamaican swagger. When I was a young man,bowlers like Curtly Ambrose and me had many fast bowlers to learn from and be inspired by. Every territory had a great tall man who was bowling it fast. But these new kids haven't been so lucky,even when it comes to their height. So I decided to give them something to look up to, he adds with a serious chuckle. Having returned in the role of the under-19 side's manager for the Four Nations tournament in Visakhapatnam,Walsh has left his large footprints all over the city,turning eyeballs wherever he goes. But it is the attention of his young Caribbean pacers that he demands,hoping to cause a renaissance in the classical art of fast bowling. In the not too distant future,I honestly believe that we will be a force to reckon with once again, says Walsh,despite his side having lost four games in as many matches in the quadrangular so far. It's part of the learning curve. You've got to put something back into the game that's given you so much to see it grow. And I'm happy with what I've seen. Many of these under-19 players can bring in the revival. And who may these U-19 cricketers be? Walsh pauses momentarily,and stares his famous follow-through stare. I don't like taking names, he says in his baritone voice. But a few talents in his side make him strain at the leash,and he is soon compelled to spill the beans. Our captain,Kraigg Brathwaite,who has already been elevated to the senior team,is one. Justin Greaves,Kyle Mayers and Kavem Hodge are the others who are being watched very closely and look the part, reveals Walsh. But what will make the difference is having the ambition. It'll depend upon how hard they want to work. You've got to want to go ahead in your career,and have that fire burning in your belly all the time. His own belly,although slightly rounder near the waistline as he approaches 50,has started to burn again. I was away from the game,and happily ran my foundation back in Jamaica. But this urge to make West Indies a force brought me back,so now I'm once again putting in my all to make us a powerhouse, he says. And it will happen. Several former players prefer criticising and not doing anything about it. Fair enough,to each his own. But several others prefer constructive criticism on the field and I'm one of them. So how have the youngsters responded to having a legend in their midst? They ask me some good questions,but their favourite is always,Who was the toughest batsman you bowled to? I tell them,Everyone,they were all so difficult to get out, says the first man to cross 500 wickets in Test cricket,trading his aura for modesty. Inspiration,perspiration I often tell them about the day I went past the record (Kapil Dev's 434),and the time I crossed 500 wickets (against South Africa). The stories are not to boast,but to explain to them the pride that comes when achieving in West Indies colours, Walsh says,before adding,It'll take a lot of hard work and many sacrifices,but the day will come when we are on top of the world again. For now,the lads just need to ride on Walsh's broad shoulders,as his giant feet pave the way into the unknown future.
