Not too many visiting fast bowlers carry happy memories of bowling in Australia. Kemar Roach is among the minority. It was Down Under in 2009, in his first overseas assignment for West Indies, that he announced himself to the world with ferocious spells that roughed up even the legendary Australia captain Ricky Ponting.
Fourteen years, 80 Tests and 267 wickets later, Roach is no longer a tearaway quick but he’s still around the circuit, now tasked with mentoring the young batch of cricketers from the Caribbean graduating to and finding their feet in Test cricket. Nostalgia is not a dominant emotion but when prodded along, Roach looked back fondly on those early days in Australia, that first Test at the Gabba, the historic ground to which he has returned on the current tour.
“I have good memories,” the 35-year-old fast bowler recollected in the build-up to the pink-ball Test. “That was my second Test tour, my first away tour for the West Indies. Then I came back here the following year for Brisbane Heat so I have some fond memories here at the Gabba. It is good to be back. I saw my picture on the wall, so good memories…
“It [That spell to Ponting] was a long time ago man. It was 14 years ago. To be here again at 35, obviously gives credit to what I have done for the West Indies and how I have performed in world cricket. So I am happy to be back here. The atmosphere is always good. I don’t bowl that quick any more so I don’t watch it back or try to relive it or anything. It’s good memories, it was my second tour, I was young. I was given the freedom to express myself and that just happened. But I’ve moved past that a long time ago.”
That tour in 2009 and even Roach’s selection was predicated by a players-v-board pay dispute in the West Indies camp. They were the early tremors that over time resulted in a massive talent drain from West Indies’ red-ball teams. Over the years, Roach has seen several fast bowling partners come and go. As a long-standing senior member, he has an added responsibility of hand-holding the highly-touted Shamar Joseph as he takes his early steps in Test cricket.
“I had that [mentors] when I started. Jerome Taylor, Daren Powell, Fidel Edwards. Some guys were around to help me when I started my career. I took knowledge and learned from it. So obviously for me now, it’s all about passing on the mantle to the youngsters,” Roach said. “He’s [Shamar] got a very good career ahead of him. At this stage, he’s willing to learn. We have a lot of conversations. So, I think once he keeps doing that, not just coming from me but anyone who he thinks can help him in his career, he can take a lot of knowledge on board and become a better cricketer.
Delving into specifics of his advice to the 24-year-old Shamar, Roach revealed: “The best advice I can give him is to build his own legacy. Understand what you want from Cricket. That’s up to him to determine, if it’s monetary, or if it’s just stats and statistics or whatever. I think he doesn’t know what he wants from cricket… and enjoy the journey.
“There’s gonna be a lot of distractions, as I said he’s a hot commodity right now. So he needs to choose what he really wants and what he thinks is best for his career going forward. So it’s up to him, as a young man, but I definitely give him that advice.”
“He is a very confident young man and I am looking forward to bowling with him. He shared a lot of information with me and we have a lot of conversations. He has a good energy I love. I am happy to be around him and to be a part of his career at the start of it. Let’s see how long and how good he can be at the end of it. He is destined to be good if he puts the work in,” Roach added.
While it may seem like Roach is in the third act of his illustrious career, he hasn’t set any finish line for himself yet. He is, however, of the legacy he’ll leave behind, when he does. “I love Test cricket. Honestly, I love the red-ball format. I’ve played one-dayers and the T20 format as well but I think my heart was always a part of the red ball. I just wanted to be a part of those mega cricketers back in the days. The Joel Garners, the Malcolm Marshalls, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, I just want to be a part of those names.
“And I think for me, obviously, I didn’t grow up much in the franchise era. So I had Test cricket at heart, and it has stuck with me throughout. So I just think it’s different times now. And that was what 10, 14, 15 years ago. So for me, it’s just about these youngsters and what they want to achieve from it. And they make the right decisions and they go forward to careers.”© Cricbuzz
