Former West Indies quick Courtney Walsh was the first pacer in the history of Test cricket to reach 500 wickets, eventually finishing with 519 scalps at an average of 24.4, a proven record in all conditions.
Recently, Walsh saw England's James Anderson not only better his feat by another 100 wickets but also become the first fast bowler so far to get 600 Test scalps.
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Currently coaching St Kitts & Nevis Patriots in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2020, Walsh couldn't help but laud Anderson for maintaining excellent fitness levels and retaining that insatiable hunger to perform at the Test level.
"It is a fantastic achievement," said Walsh in an interview with Times of India. "It is a monumental effort for any fast bowler to play as much as you need to for taking 500 or 600 wickets. It just shows the hard work and dedication that Anderson has put in over the years. He truly deserves every accolade he gets. The fact that he still wants to play and aim for 700 wickets is tremendous."
Walsh stressed on Anderson's constantly improved bowling action as a major factor behind his longevity.
"Once you get to know your bowling action, it will help you to survive and play for many years," he said. "Anderson is not as quick as he used to be when he was younger, but his skill sets have gotten better. He has more consistency."
"That is what you need. The smoothness of his action and the minimal effort it takes out of his body have allowed him to prolong his career for so long. He has an action that is not stressful on the body."
Impressed by Jasprit Bumrah, Walsh thinks the Indian pacer has a bright future ahead of him and can reach as far as Anderson and even his new-ball partner Stuart Broad have in their careers.
"He (Bumrah) has the potential to reach where Anderson and Broad have," said the legend. "He is a very skilful bowler. He has a funny run-up that people might want to change. But it is what is best for him."
"If he stays fit, he could make his mark in a big way in all formats. It is just about how hungry he is to achieve success."
