He featured in the Windies tour of India in 1987-88 and literally terrorized the Indian batsmen - not to forget a couple of second standard kids.
I shall leave it to Mike Selvey (he of the latest Chappell interview) to describe the man (courtesy Cricinfo):
"...Patterson hurtled his inelegant bow-legged way up the hill, thrust his leading leg high, studs at the batsman, stamped down hard enough to measure on the Richter Scale, and, bowling like the devil..."
What Mr. Selvey forgot was the way Patterson started his run up, crouching low, like a panther....ready for the kill...
I dont think we the kids of the mid-80s who saw the Windies at their prime will forget what a force they were! Just imagine what it must have looked like, for the batsman, watching the bowler's left leg go at 60 degrees and then find the ball hurtling towards you at close to 95mph. Must have surely accounted for a momentary distraction leading to timber being rattled! And those were the days of Walsh, Ambrose, Malcolm Marshall (RIP) and Ian Bishop!
I can only sigh thinking of those days, and what a huge collective sigh it must be...
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YESSSS... And I thought I was the only one in awe of Pat Patterson! Ian Bishop was another of those flames that did not flicker for too long. IMHO, he had it in him to be the Holding of his era! And mebbe with him around to share the work load, Ambrose and Walsh could have stuck around just a wee bit longer and then you never know how the WI would be now!
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