DOMINICA—Mitchell Johnson and Mitchell Starc will showcase their fast-bowling expertise over the next couple of weeks as Australia battle West Indies in a two-Test series.
Johnson tore England apart in the 2013-14 Ashes, seizing 37 wickets at an average of 13.97 across the five games, while Mitchell Starc proved a batsman’s nightmare at the recent World Cup, the master of the yorker ending the tournament with 22 scalps.
Yet neither are considered the best quick bowlers in the world by West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose, a man who pocketed 405 Test-match wickets at a lick under 21.
“I would say Dale Steyn,” Ambrose told Sky Sports after being asked who the finest seamer on the planet was.
“He has the pace but knows fast bowling is not just about bowling fast. He knows how to work batsmen out and that’s what great fast bowlers need.”
Steyn could soon follow England man James Anderson in moving past the 400-wicket milestone in Tests, the 31-year-old is perched on 396 heading into the Proteas’ July series in Bangladesh.
Numbers like that are a distant dream for West Indies’ current speedsters Jerome Taylor (114), Shannon Gabriel (31) and Jason Holder (13) but Ambrose insists each man has bundles of talent.
“Jerome can be a much better bowler than he is,” said Ambrose.
“He swings the ball at ease and can bowl with real pace, so what I am working on with him is his patience—when he becomes a patient bowler he can do a lot for West Indies cricket.
“Holder is a wonderful talent and has the makings of becoming a great all-rounder, while Shannon, who came into cricket very late and is still learning the art of fast bowling, has the pace and work ethic to be a real handful.”
Ambrose’s team won many admirers during their recent tussles with England, with a largely inexperienced outfit bouncing back from defeat in Grenada to win in Barbados and draw the three-Test series 1-1.
And the former Northamptonshire bowler is confident the Caribbean clan can impress again against Australia if they show enough determination.
“Australia are aggressive and are going to be a handful but we have to be up for the challenge,” added Ambrose.
“It is not going to be easy but if we show some fight and believe we can compete against them we will be okay.”