West Indies fast bowling greats vs Australia’s modern-day pace attack – Which era was better?

West Indies produced some of the fiercest pacers in world cricket from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. Meanwhile, Australia's current trio of Mitchell Starc, Pat Cummins, and Josh Hazlewood have also been consistent performers across formats.

The last three decades of the twentieth century are remembered by cricket fans as the golden age of fast bowling. The legendary quartet of Andy Roberts, Michael Holding, Joel Garner, and Colin Croft were referred to as the "Four Horsemen". They are often considered the first batch of West Indies bowlers who tormented opposition formats, irrespective of the conditions in which they played.

Roberts was known for his pace and aggression. He was considered the "brain" of the quarter. Roberts had two different bouncers. One of them was bowled at a slower speed, and batters used to deal with it with disdain on most occasions. However, that was the Antiguan speedster's ploy as he had another bouncer in his repertoire, which he would bowl at serious pace and surprise the batters. The Urlings Village-born played 47 Tests and 56 ODIs, bagging 202 and 87 wickets, respectively.

Meanwhile, Holding was renowned for his pace and intimidating presence. His nickname, "Whispering Death", perfectly explains his characteristics as a bowler. He could bowl at terrifying speeds with a smooth action. Holding played 60 Tests and 102 ODIs, accounting for 249 and 142 wickets, respectively.

Garner was the tallest of the four pacers, standing at a staggering 6 feet 8 inches (2.03 meters). He was known as "Big Bird" for his imposing frame and bowling style. The right-arm seamer could bowl lethal yorkers, mostly targeting the toes of the batters. Because of his height, he didn't have to bend his back too much to produce bounce. Garner took 259 and 146 wickets from 58 Tests and 98 ODIs, respectively.

These three iconic fast bowlers combined to take over 700 wickets in Tests and 300 wickets in ODIs, bringing tremendous success to the Caribbean side.

Colin Croft played the least number of matches among the Four Horsemen, being a part of the West Indies team for only five years. However, he was a tearaway speedster, who would run in to bowl directly behind the umpire and used to slant away only after reaching the popping crease. Therefore, batters got very little time to figure out what was coming at them. Croft accepted a place in the rebel tour of apartheid-divided South Africa in 1982. This was a violation of an international ban on sports tours of the country. As a result, he was banned for life from international cricket.

The other legendary bowlers who represented the West Indies in the subsequent years were Malcolm Marshall, Curtly Ambrose, Courtney Walsh, and Ian Bishop. All of them had special traits, which helped them dominate world cricket.

On the other hand, Australia produced quality seamers like Glenn McGrath, Brett Lee, and Jason Gillespie. However, according to many Australian greats, the current pace attack, comprising Josh Hazlewood, Mitchell Starc, and Pat Cummins, is the best the nation has ever produced.

Hazlewood has been hit with several injuries over the years. However, he has bounced back strongly every time. He is known for his relentless accuracy, bowling a consistent line and length over-after-over. He can also extract awkward bounce off a length. The right-arm seamer also improved his bowling skills in white-ball cricket, especially in the T20 format, considerably over the years. Hazlewood has picked up 281, 138, and 67 wickets from 73 Tests, 91 ODIs, and 52 T20Is, respectively.

Current skipper Pat Cummins brings a brilliant mix of pace and accuracy. He isn't someone who bowls searing yorkers, but he can move the ball both ways. Cummins' ability to adapt to different conditions is magnificent. He reads the pitch well and bowls accordingly. The 32-year-old is also a decorated captain of the national team in Tests as well as in ODIs. He has picked up 301, 143, and 66 wickets from 68 Tests, 90 ODIs, and 57 T20Is, respectively.

Mitchell Starc brings an all-new dimension to the Australian pace attack because he bowls left-arm. He is the quickest among the trio and the best white-ball bowler as well. Starc can be wayward at times, but when he is in rhythm, he becomes almost unplayable. The 35-year-old has a phenomenal yorker, which bamboozles batters when it swings late and gets them either bowled or Leg Before Wicket (lbw). He has played 97 Tests, 127 ODIs, and 65 T20Is, bagging 387, 244, and 79 wickets, respectively.

They are one of the most successful bowling trios in world cricket, especially in the longest format, having taken 429 wickets from 35 matches.

Conclusion

The West Indies pacers mentioned earlier in this article bowled mostly to batters who did not have quality protective gear. Without a helmet, facing the likes of Roberts, Garner, and Holding was a frightening proposition. Pitches were also not prepared as diligently as they are today, and this led to fast bowlers getting uneven bounce. However, Hazlewood, Cummins, and Starc are playing in an era where there is ample protective gear for the batters. A lot of technology has also entered the game, with batters and bowlers trying to assess each other out even before facing each other on the field.

Naturally, comparing two different generation of pace attacks becomes tacky due to certain external factors, but nonetheless, it can definitely be drawn that both the units have been the best of the time they delivered the red cherry in.