Malcolm Marshall

It would’ve been the 66th birthday of one of the greatest fast bowlers ever to grace the game of cricket. Malcom Marshall, who took 376 Test wickets at an astonishing average of 20.9 in addition to his 157 ODI wickets, was born on this day in 1958.

He was one of the prime reasons for the West Indies dominance in the 1980s. Sadly, he passed away in 1999 due to colon cancer, leaving a legacy that will be remembered for generations. One of his greatest heroics happened in 1984, when he bowled with a broken thumb and picked up seven wickets, leading the West Indies to a 5-0 Test series win against England.

Here’s the memory of great Brian Lara facing him for the first time in domestic cricket: “I had my first encounter with Malcolm at the beginning of my first-class career in 1988, when Trinidad and Tobago was playing against Barbados. The first delivery I faced in the match was from Malcolm, and of course, his reputation with the ball preceded him. I was scared; my heart was pumping, and I was out caught down the leg-side first ball. As he went past me with his hands in the air, he stopped, touched me on the shoulder, and said, 'Tough luck!' That was the first time I had gotten close to him.”