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Ambrose frustrated by woeful West Indies

Curtly Ambrose has joined the growing list of former West Indian players to bemoan the performances of the current crop

Cricinfo staff
01-May-2005


'Sometimes it is painful, really painful ...' © Getty Images
Curtly Ambrose has joined the growing list of former West Indian players to bemoan the performances of the current crop. West Indies were among the top teams in the world for much of Ambrose's playing days, but have since fallen a long way from their lofty perch, and are already 2-0 down in their ongoing Test series against South Africa.
"It can be very frustrating at times. We are all West Indians, we want to see our team do well but lately we haven't been," Ambrose said on the Caribbean Media Corporation's Cricket Plus programme during the second day of the Antigua Test. "Sometimes it is painful, really painful. When I used to play I always believed I could change things. When you are not playing, you can't do anything to help."
Ambrose finished with 405 Test wickets from 98 matches at an outstanding average of 20.99, and also had 225 ODI scalps in a career which spanned 13 years. With Courtney Walsh, Ambrose kept the West Indian attack going even after the retirement of the some of their other stalwarts. West Indies won 44 and lost 26 of the Tests which Ambrose played, but of late their downward spiral has been alarming - of the last 50 matches they've lost 27, with only ten victories.
"I don't know but something is terribly wrong. You can't tell these guys don't have the potential or the ability," Ambrose remarked. "We have seen patches of it from time to time. But we are still seeking some consistency and we are not having that and it's very frustrating."