Malcolm Denzil Marshall – three words guaranteed to strike unparalleled fear into even the greatest of batsmen through the 1980s. Known throughout the cricket world as ‘Macko’, I am yet to see as complete a fast bowler as this wonderful West Indian. Of the 24 bowlers who have achieved the feat of 300 Test Match wickets, nobody can match Marshall’s average of 20.94, and only Waqar Younis has a strike rate better than the wicket per 46.7 balls achieved by Macko.
He did not match the stereotype of a fast bowler at a height of 5′9″, but he generated pace from a phenomenally fast and whippy arm action, whilst his ability to move the ball at pace made him a formidable opponent, described by the great Pakistani all-rounder, Wasim Akram, as simply the ‘greatest fast bowler of all time’.
To fully appreciate the brilliance of Marshall, you had to be fortunate enough to watch and observe him from 2 angles. From side-on, you appreciated the grace of his fast, angled approach to the wicket, lithely and gracefully eating up the yards between the start of his run-up and the Umpire. You would then see the ball catapulted some 22 yards at a speed that was quite honestly a touch disconcerting even from 100 yards away! {jfusion_discuss 60}
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