A former cricket legend of the game, Sir Curtly Ambrose was a destructive fast bowler of the West Indies National team. He gained immense respect from his teammates and the audience for his revered contribution to cricket. His career saw numerous wickets tumble with swift succession that instilled both fear and respect amongst the opponents. His accolades and wins are a testimony to him being one of the best bowlers of his generation.
Little did anyone know that Sir Curtly Ambrose was on his way to becoming a basketball player in some team in the USA. His mother's advice proved to be the turning point; she suggested he pursue a career in cricket. The rest is history!
| Full name: Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose | Born: Sep 21, 1963 (59 years) |
| Nationality: West Indian | Birth Place: Swetes Village, Antigua And Barbuda |
| Years Active: (1998–2000) | Height: 6 ft 7 in |
| Role: Fast Bowler | Bowling Style: Right-arm fast bowler |
| Batting Style: Left-handed batsman | Nickname: Curtly talk to no man |
Sir Curtly Ambrose is the fourth child among seven siblings from his parents. His dad was a carpenter, while his mother was a housewife. Nobody in his family ever played cricket, but his mother had an undying passion for the sport.
Sir Curtly Ambrose had one of the most motivational mothers in Millie Ambrose, who played an instrumental role in his cricketing career. He married Bridgette Benjamin in 2001 and has a daughter named Tanya. He also has one more child (daughter) named Kirsty Ashbrooke from his previous relationship.
His mother’s encouragement saw Sir Curtly Ambrose make his first class for the Leeward Islands in 1985-86. The Viv Richards scholarship helped him pursue the sport further in England, where he held the ball for Chester Boughton Hall Cricket Club, one of the highest-rated cricketing competitions in Liverpool. His endeavours helped him secure a permanent position in the Leewards Islands team..
On March 12th, 1988, he made his ODI international debut against Pakistan and made a resounding presence with four wickets in the match. On April 2nd he debuted in a test series against Pakistan.
The debut year was the turning point of his career. Despite a dismal start at the test series in Pakistan, he came back strong against England. In five matches, he took an astounding 22 wickets with a minimum average of 20.22! The journalists started comparing him with the likes of Joel Garner.
In 1989 he started playing English county cricket for the first time for Northamptonshire. Again during England’s visit to West Indies in 1990, he proved his prowess with the ball, taking eight wickets for 45 runs.
In 98 test matches, Sir Curtly Ambrose managed to take 405 wickets. His prowess transcended to the ODI where he took astonishingly 225 wickets in just 175 games. In one of the test matches, he took 11 wickets for just 84 runs, while his best in ODI cricket featured 5 wickets for 17 runs.
He also proved just as effective in the ODI format, taking 12 wickets in the 1996 Wills World Cup, including a match-winning 4-36 against West Indies in the semi-final. Despite this, Australia lost the final to Sri Lanka.
He also has a mentionable contribution with the bat, where he scored 1439 runs in 98 test matches, featuring 145 innings. In ODI, he struck 639 runs in 176 matches, which is an astounding figure for a fast bowler.
The 1992 world cup wasn't a great one for him, where West Indies got eliminated in the group stage. Thereafter, his shoulder injury shadowed him for quite a considerable time. The 1996 world cup was a comeback where his superlative performances pushed west Indies to the semi-final where they accepted defeat against Australia. Though the 1999 world cup wasn't a favorable one for West Indies, Ambrose established himself as one of the most economical bowlers in world cricket.
His comeback from the shoulder injury and back on the high standards of performance gained immense praise and respect from the cricket community. Ironically, his final ODI match was against Pakistan, and his final test series was against England. The test series saw him take three crucial wickets and get a guard of honour from the English Team.
After super annulation, he pursued a career in the musical industry.
Sir Curtly Ambrose helped West Indies achive new heights with his bowling attack. The flurry of wickets often helped the team win crucial matches.
| ODI | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 176 | Runs Scored: 639 |
| Batting Average: 10.65 | Highest Score: 31 |
| Strike Rate: 64.87 | Wickets Taken: 225 |
| Bowling Economy: 3.48 | Best Figures: 5/17 |
| Bowling Average: 24.13 | |
| T20 | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 1 | Runs Scored: 1 |
| Runs Gives: 17995 | |
| Batting Average: 10 | Top Score: 10 |
| 100/50: 0/0 | Wickets: 1 |
| Test | |
|---|---|
| Matches: 98 | Runs Scored: 1439 |
| Batting Average: 12.41 | Highest Score: 53 |
| Strike Rate: 46.72 | Wickets Taken: 405 |
| Bowling Economy: 2.31 | Best Figures: 8/45 |
| Bowling Average: 20.99 | |
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
Sachin lifting the World Cup Trophy after winning it in 2011.
