Courtney Walsh

Courtney Walsh Biography

Courtney Andrew Walsh is a former Jamaican cricketer who was a part of the West Indies team for the period of 1984 to 2001.

He has also been honoured with the Order of Jamaica, which is the fifth of the six orders in the Jamaican honours system.

It is equivalent to a knighthood in the British honours system.

He is known for his remarkable opening bowling partnership with Curtly Ambrose.

Background

Walsh played his initial cricket in a Jamaica at the same club where Michael Holding started playing cricket - the Melbourne club.

Walsh played cricket for the West Indies from 1984 to 2001, for Gloucestershire County Cricket Club from 1984 to 1998, for Jamaica from 1981– 82 to 1999– 00.

Debut

Walsh made his Test debut versus Australia at the WACA Ground in Perth in 1984 taking 2 wickets for 43 runs.

He took 16 wickets in the season yielding 507 runs.

He made his ODI debut against Sri Lanka at Tasmania Cricket Association Ground, in the same season during the World Series Cup. He took one wicket for 47 from 10 overs in the match.

Rise to glory

Walsh is a remarkable player who has left his imprints on both Test and ODI formats.

He had given cricket some very good performances Walsh took 5 wickets in an ODI match against Sri Lanka in 1986 conceding only one run. 

In 2000, Walsh turned into the most astounding wicket-taker in Test cricket, breaking a six-year-old record of Kapil Dev's 434 wickets.

He achieved the accomplishment in his 114th match, 17 matches less than Kapil Dev.

He has been honored with awards like being one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1987 and West Indian Cricket Cricketer of the Year in 1988.

He was included in ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010.

Retirement

He played his last Test against South Africa in 2001 where the West Indies team won the match. His last ODI came in January 2000, against New Zealand. After he retired he was contracted as Bangladesh’s bowling coach.