Famous Cricketers No 52 - Malcolm Marshall

TRIBUTE by Victor Isaacs For a few years I often spoke to Malcolm about producing a statistical book on his achievements. Malcolm, a hidden stattophile, often asked me how his career was shaping and in the years before the Internet, he often assisted me in keeping his figures up to date by putting me in contact with friends in the West Indies and latterly South Africa. I first saw Malcolm Marshall on April 27th 1979 when, with Gordon Greenidge, he walked into the hotel at Derby where the team were dining together, a sort of bonding exercise for the first match of the season. He was introduced to his new team-mates and I remember my old pal, Dave Turner, remarking to me and a couple of the players: “Isn’t he skinny”. The following morning, in Arctic conditions, he warmed up with the team in preparation for the opening Benson & Hedges match of the season. The records show that he dismissed just one batsman, but he made a few spectators sit up and notice. That skinny fast bowler Denzil had started his Hampshire career. At Oxford the following week, I noticed Malcolm sitting alone in the bar of the hotel, and he approached me to ask where there was a good eating spot. We went out together to a Chinese restaurant and talked about his ambitions. He had already represented the West Indies, and hoped that his career would be extended in that vein. I had to ask him to try and speak slower as his rapid Barbadian talk was difficult to understand. It was probably the last time I ate with Malcolm on a one to one basis but, although socially we did not mix, he was a good friend and always had good words to say about my work with Hampshire. Malcolm’s will to win was shown to me, to my detriment, one year when we decided to play pool in the hotel bar whilst the team were watching a World Cup soccer game. I was reasonably good at pool, but still, to my surprise, I took a 6-1 lead. We stopped for some Kentucky (his treat), and just when I was thinking of retiring for the night, Malcolm insisted we continue our contest. I was tired and drained as he won six straight and, with the score now on 7-6 in his favour, we retired. I will miss Malcolm, he became a good friend and supporter, but I am grateful to have known him, to have scored every one of his Hampshire matches, and I am grateful for the memories. 3