The Profile
A cricket career with numbers to match the reputation.
Curtly Ambrose's height did not make him a great bowler. A great many tall bowlers have been ordinary. What made Ambrose great was the ability to land the ball on exactly the patch of pitch he wanted, ball after ball, for spells that lasted longer than most bowlers managed in their entire careers.
Eight for forty five against England at Bridgetown in 1990. Seven for one against Australia at Perth in 1993. A career haul of four hundred and five Test wickets at an average of twenty and a strike rate that most modern fast bowlers can only dream about. Ambrose was the bowler who made the 1990s West Indies attack the last truly great pace attack in Test cricket.
He has been famously private since retirement. He does not give many interviews. He does not talk often in public. When he does, the words are deliberate and direct, which is exactly how he bowled. At Steam, he spoke alongside Walsh in an event that was rare enough to sell out in a matter of hours.
“If you want to talk, talk. If you want to bowl fast, do not waste the breath. I was always going to choose the second option.”
Career highlights
- 405 Test wickets for the West Indies
- 98 Test matches
- Eight for 45 against England, Bridgetown 1990
- Seven for 1 against Australia, Perth 1993
- ICC Hall of Fame inductee
- Knight of the Order of National Hero of Antigua and Barbuda
First hand
Curtly Ambrose at Steam
Curtly appeared at Steam in July 2025 alongside Courtney Walsh. It was the most in-demand speaker event we have run in the last two years.