After 13 years, Kemar Roach joins a list with some big names in front of him. Walsh, Ambrose, Gibbs, Garner, and Marshall are some of the greatest West Indies bowlers to have played the game. Now, along with them, Kemar Roach sits with 250 wickets. The fact that he is here with all his hurdles proves his brilliance.

Starting his career in 2009, Kemar Roach has been battling his physical appearance and body over the years. At 5ft 8 inches, he is rather short for fast bowlers but knows how to fight despite the height issue. Early in his career, Kemar Roach touched 150 with ease, to make up for his height. He can get a very skiddy action and awkward bounce with his pace and low release.

Early in his career, Kemar Roach impressed against Bangladesh in a Test series. His performance was crucial with a number of West Indies cricketers going on a strike back then. He later played a role in starting Ricky Ponting’s downward spiral in Test Cricket. Bowling with raw pace, Kemar Roach hit Ricky Ponting hard in the elbow, making him retire hurt.

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By 2014, Kemar Roach established himself as the spearhead. He had a lot of wickets, a good average and strike rate, and started to develop a reputation as a strike-bowler. Learning how to be a fast bowler without height, Kemar Roach’s next hurdle hit him. He injured his ankle and missed a lot of cricket between 2014 to 2017.

In this period, Kemar Roach’s deliveries were less effective and his comeback saw him as a slower bowler. From being a bowler who bowls 150, Kemar Roach had to make the transition to a bowler who finds control in the 130s. From 2017, Kemar Roach took 127 wickets at an average of 23, proving that he can adjust well.

While Kemar Roach transformed his bowling style due to injuries, there was an aspect that didn’t change. He continued to pick up key wickets, taking the wickets of top-order batters and setting up players well in the first innings. Additionally, he is a beast when it comes to bowling to the top orders, regularly damaging batting line-ups with the new ball.

Furthermore, Kemar Roach achieved a lot of this with scant support around him. Through his time in the West Indies team, he has seen bowlers change constantly. Earlier, Shannon Gabriel was around, but injuries and form keep him in and out of the side. There is Jason Holder who has been a constant though and Alzarri Joseph who is coming up, but Kemar Roach has rarely had a constant partner over the years.

With bowlers changing, his five-for percentage has gone up as Kemar Roach is left to do most of the work, picking up key wickets and in large amounts. Despite all the challenges he faced, Kemar Roach has proven his ability. He now stands with 250 Test Wickets and is finally in a league of West Indian greats.