OTD | Star West Indies seamer Kemar Roach was born in 1988

Kemar Roach, West Indies’ one of the most talented pace bowlers, was born on this day (June 30) in 1988. Roach is a prominent figure in the list of the great fast bowlers from Barbados. He can generate amazing pace with his quick arm and can be a nightmare for batters with his accuracy on yorkers.

A 5-foot-8-inch-tall right-arm pacer, the 36-year-old had clocked speeds of over 90 mph on regular occasions during his early days. Roach made his international debut in a T20 match against Australia in June 2008. He donned the whites for the first time in 2009 against Bangladesh. He also represented the West Indies at Under-19 level in the 2006 World Cup.

It was during his first overseas assignment for the Windies in 2009 that he announced himself to the world. Playing against mighty Australia, Roach produced ferocious spells that even threatened the legendary captain, Ricky Ponting. The pull-short expert was forced to retire hurt after Roach’s blistering delivery hit on his elbow.

First Windies bowler to take World Cup hat-trick

Roach created history in the 2011 World Cup by becoming the first West Indian bowler to take a hat-trick in the history of the showpiece event. He claimed six wickets against the Netherlands and helped the Windies win by a massive 215 runs. He was also only the sixth bowler to take a hat-trick in the World Cup.

He was the first West Indies bowler to take 10 wickets in a Test since 2005, a record he achieved in 2012. Roach has represented the Caribbean nation in all three formats but has played the most in the Test (81 matches) and ODIs (95 matches). He has picked up over 250 wickets in the red-ball cricket and over 120 wickets in the 50-over format.

Meanwhile, in a recent development, the star pacer has been ruled out of West Indies’ upcoming tour of England. He withdrew from the squad following a knee injury while playing for Surrey in the County Championship.

Also read: 2007: The day Sachin Tendulkar made history