‘Feisty’ Kemar Roach brings a familiar Caribbean flavour to world cricket

The Caribbean flavour returned back to England in the 2000s, where the four-man pace attack of Courtney Walsh, Curtly Ambrose, Reon King, and Franklyn Rose made its impact on the English land. And ever since, the West Indian greatness has been rather associated with the likes of Brian Charles Lara, Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Chris Henry Gayle. In 2009, a young and fiery pacer made his Test debut against Bangladesh at Kingstown with Floyd Reifer leading the young colts. 

So when he limped out with a hamstring in the first Test against Bangladesh, every West Indian fan around the globe was praying and hoping for a quick return. Not because they were missing the pacer’s efforts but before he walked out, he had already set the tone for the Test but in hindsight also set the tone for the future of the Windies pace battery. What made him special and set him apart from the other ‘generational talents’? 

Since marking his return in August 2017, the 5 feet 6 inches pacer had already left a mark that was more than just his height. In the 19 Test matches that Roach has played post the period, he has picked up 71 wickets at a staggering average of 21.81. Average certainly equates to his quality as a top pacer, with a wicket 46th ball that he bowls with the red ball. But more importantly, when you put his name on the same chart as some of the world’s best in recent times, you would find strikingly similar numbers. Since his return, he is sixth-best pacer in the world when it comes to strike-rates. On an average-basis, he is pretty much up there as the top five bowlers with the red-ball. 

At North Sound against India, he was a constant menace to the Indian top order in the first innings, where not only was he fast but also he was ideal for the movie title, Fast and Furious. Bowling sharply at 134kph, the West Indian got one to nip off very late to catch Mayank Agarwal on his backfoot. If you think that was a one-off dismissal, think again, he struck again with a similar delivery to pick off Cheteshwar Pujara. Now, thanks to his two dismissals, we have stereotyped him as a bowler who can pick wickets outside the off-stump channel. Yet when you look at his highlight reel from the last two years, you would find Ian Bishop with the words, “Yes, full at the stumps, brilliant from Roach,” “That’s the delivery Roach was searching for, he is running a riot here.” And all of this brilliance was seen together in tango during the series against England. 

Once again in the clash at North Sound, he was at his best, unleashing a beast that was reminiscent of the bowlers from the era which also was the name of the stadium. It was almost reminiscent of Moltres, the legendary fire Pokemon species. This time around, he would be meaner, fitter and more hungry as the Dukes ball combined with the conditions in England would make it more bowler-friendly. 

He would step on to the pitch alongside familiar figures of Jason Holder and Alzarri Joseph. But more importantly, this series presents the soon to be 32-year-old with a chance of leading an attack that has the best of the youths coming through in almost a decade. The likes of Chemar Holder, Keon Harding, Oshane Thomas might leapfrog to the playing XI when they take on England in the first Test. Crucially, Roach, throughout the era, has proved himself not to be just a wicket-taker but as one of the best West Indian pacer in the generation. Since the turn of the millennium, no pacer in the Caribbean has crossed the 200-wicket mark, with the 31-year-old just being seven shy of the 200-mark. Despite leaving an impression as the best Windies pacer in the 21st century, his goals are far from just his own game.