West Indian great Curtly Ambrose and Ian Bishop spent a large part of day three at the commentary box during the two-match series opener against Bangladesh at Antigua regretting that Kemar Roach deserved much more respect than what he gets.
“He should get 300 Test wickets,” exclaimed Ambrose on quite a few occasions while Bishop echoed the same sentiment watching the right-arm fast bowler writing his name in the history book by claiming 249 Test wickets and equaling none other than West Indian legendary pace man Michael Holding.
“Proud man (to equal Michael Holding),” Roach, who picked his 10th five-for in the game said after the end of play.
“Obviously he is one of the legends of the game and to equal him just goes to show I am pretty much up there. It's a good feeling and obviously you wanna keep going as much you can and I got some more wickets in me I definitely have,” he said “Stats man, stats (keep me going) and money too but stats definitely keep me going and I love to be amongst the great. Put my name up there and obviously in history and so therefore that what I am going for,” he said adding that 300 wickets is something that he wants to achieve in next two to three years.
“300 wickets is something that I will try to get in two-three years,” he said. Roach admitted that he had to compromise his pace since the injury in 2017 but added that it was during that point of time he also developed the skill of bowling from round the wicket to the left-handers.
“I lost my pace because of my injury and I was in for skill with lot of hard work and lot of consistent bowling obviously want to get where you want to be in your career. It’s actually good to see the result,” he said adding that it was in England when he first tried out going round the wicket.
Roach, who was cleared at the last minute to play this Test, was a man on a mission against Bangladesh on his favourite hunting ground in Antigua where he picked his 50th Test wicket.
“Well for me it is an open ground and you always get that sideways movement. There is a strong breeze and it just works for me,” he said.
“I had some good success as I said in Antigua. There is a lot of movement and the open field that we have and I am happy. I like being in Antigua and people are nice and hopefully, the prime minister can give me a passport,” he said.
