Fidel Edwards ... spearhead of the West Indies attack. - DIGICEL PHOTO
LONDON, ENGLAND (CMC)
THE WISDEN MAGAZINE has reported West Indies fast bowler Fidel Edwards is aiming to become the first Caribbean bowler to smash the coveted 100 mile-per-hour (mph) barrier in his pursuit of fast-bowling greatness.
Only Pakistan's Shoaib Akhtar and Australia's Brett Lee have been officially measured at more than 100 mph and the 24-year-old Barbadian pacer is keen to become the third member of an exclusive club.
"My main objective is to break the 100 mph bowling mark and try to end up as one of the great fast bowlers. I want to end with at least 200 or 300 wickets," Edwards said in an interview for the August issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine.
"I sometimes look at the speed gun, keen to find out how I'm going, but mostly I'm interested in bowling fast and getting wickets," he added.
Edwards also revealed with very little subtlety that intimidating and hitting batsmen also rank highly in his approach to bowling.
Asked what he most enjoys about fast bowling, he tells the magazine; "Mostly I like running in and seeing the fear in the batsman's eyes and knowing they are intimidated."
TV pictures showing him laughing after hitting a batsman have contributed to him being dubbed as the 'smiling assassin'. But Edwards believes that kind of gamesmanship is all part of cricket.
"I enjoy the gamesmanship within the match and that is part of the game. I like intimidating batsmen, it's nothing personal, I just want to get them out," he stated.
BIG HIGHLIGHTS
His back catalogue of career highlights builds on this theme, most notably memories of hitting a trio of New Zealand players on the helmet.
"Hitting Stephen Fleming, Scott Styris and Nathan Astle on the helmet were big highlights for me. I have not really hit other players on the helmet before, mostly on the hands and arms. But I roughed up Graham Thorpe at Old Trafford and that was also a highlight. But I don't bowl to hit people - I bowl to get them out."
Eight months away from the Caribbean hosting its first ICC Cricket World Cup, Edwards said the host nation is improving as a one-day side and has a good chance of lifting the trophy next April.
"To be honest, the guys are more together now. They play as a unit. They're taking a lot of chances and it made a difference in the one-day games (when West Indies beat India 4-1). I would say we've been working hard for a while now but the people want results too quickly. They need to take defeat in its stride and be a bit more patient.
"I think we have a good chance (of winning the World Cup). We won the ICC Champions Trophy in England two years ago and showed what we can do and I really think that on our home ground we have as good a chance as anybody."
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