Taylor recalls West Indian glory days

MONTEGO BAY, Jamaica, Mar 8 (Reuters) There was a time when batsmen trembled at the prospect of facing West Indian pace attacks and in Jerome Taylor, the World Cup hosts believe they have a bowler to bring back those glory days.

It has been the biggest mystery in international cricket how the well of talent which once produced fast bowlers of the calibre of Michael Holding, Malcolm Marshall, Courtney Walsh and Curtly Ambrose, suddenly dried up.

The 22-year-old Taylor has a long way to go before he can be added to that list of proven world-class wicket-takers but there is enough promise in his bowling to prompt reminders of some of the elements that helped create great Caribbean quickies.

Like Malcolm Marshall, he runs in at pace and the easy, smooth rhythm he gains from his approach recalls Andy Roberts albeit without his trademark high leap on delivery.

Not a tall man and with a lean, rather than muscular physique, Taylor does not look like a typical pace bowler but, as former captain and current team co-ordinator Clive Lloyd notes, there is no rule that says pacemen must be giants.

''Some people always expect West Indian quickies to look like Joel Garner,'' he said referring to the towering bowler from the early 1980's known as 'Big Bird'. ''But Jerome is genuinely quick and has very good stamina.'' That stamina has its origins in Taylor's background as a 400 and 800 metre runner in Jamaican school athletics and also in the gym work he was forced into as he recovered from a back injury.

BACK INJURY Taylor was given his first call-up into the West Indies side at the age of 18 and with little experience of first class cricket but his progress was put on hold by the back injury he suffered in 2003.

However, he put his time on the sidelines to good use.

''I had to make slight changes to my action but nothing major,'' Taylor told Reuters in an interview.

''That time was a bit helpful in that I did a lot of strength work as part of my rehabilitation. I didn't have any worries about coming back though, I knew I had age on my side.'' It was also a fruitful time in that Taylor was visited by fellow Jamaican Walsh who impressed upon him the need to focus on some key improvements in his bowling.

''During rehab, he would come by and talk and he talked to me a lot about bowling with control and consistency, about how to get more swing and about economy -- things I am really concentrating on now,'' he said.

After proving his fitness and form in domestic cricket, he returned to the West Indies side during the tour of New Zealand in 2006.

It was the following home series against India where Taylor began to deliver on his potential with his first five-wicket haul coming in front of his home fans at Kingston.

His straight, fast bowling and movement off the seam again caught the eye with his late hat-trick in a 4-49 performance against Australia in the Champions Trophy in October.

That display assured him of a place in the World Cup squad and a major boost in confidence.

''I've got to know the role of a fast bowler, I know what I have to do,'' he said, adding that the one-day game means he has to curb his natural instinct towards attacking bowling.

''I am concentrating on economy. Sure, I am still going in looking to take wickets but I know I have to bowl with economy,'' he said.

Lloyd believes that the conditions at the World Cup, with quick tracks and early starts to games, could help Taylor make a real impact in the tournament which begins on Monday.

''The bowlers are getting good carry on these wickets and starting early there might be a little bit left from overnight rain.

But if you are quick, you are quick on every kind of track,'' he said.

Lloyd knows the results that quality pace bowling can bring -- his battery of fast bowlers helped win the first two World Cups in 1975 and 1979 -- and he is by no means the only man in the Caribbean hoping that the pace of Taylor can help bring a return to those glory days.

REUTERS DH KN2136