Andy Roberts, the pace giant of West Indies, believes that Bangladesh shouldshake off the idea that they would not be able to produce genuine fastbowlers

Shahryar Khan05-Sep-2001Andy Roberts, the pace giant of West Indies, believes that Bangladesh shouldshake off the idea that they would not be able to produce genuine fastbowlers. He thinks that the country is capable of sprouting quick bowlers;therefore, they should evade any sort of negative attitude. A press briefingwas arranged in Navana Tower, the newly built office of BCB, where thisformer pace demon shared his ideas with the journalists present there.Roberts, who came to guide the bowlers of Bangladesh-A and Under-19, isquite optimistic about Bangladeshi pace bowlers. He came here to run afifteen-day crush program on fast bowling and he found latent talents amonghis students who may appear as real fast bowlers if properly groomed.He believes that Bangladeshi journalists should cut off their rotten ideathat the boys here are physically too poor to bowl at 90- miles per hour.Kowshik and Talha, the due of Under-19, are quite fast and they are going toemerge as fearsome bowlers for the country within two or three years. Hefirmly believes they are going to get the ability to generate pace nearing90 miles per hour soon.He spoke from a different angle that real quickies don’t need very goodheight always. Fast bowling has nothing to do with height or the strength ofshoulders, a physic does not bowl fast he believes. Attitude should comefirst and then the power of the legs. Most of the real quickies of the worlddon’t possess a very good height Malcolm Marshall, Lillie or Imran werebarely six-footers.He refuted the journalists saying that fast bowlers could thrive on slowpitches too. It would never be an impediment. The only thing that matters is"aggressive attitude" and it would sound good that he has located suchattitudes in some of his students.After the briefing, Roberts divulged the secret of reverse swing to everyonewith a ball having black marks on one side. The way he was conducting theact of reverse swing, enthralled the journalists present there.Andy, who is prone to give hostile pitchers, is regarded as the mostformidable of the famous pace-quadrant of West Indies in the seventies. Hehas a busy schedule in front at BKSP with the boys before his departure onSeptember 13.