Sir Curtly Elconn Lynwall Ambrose , KCN ( born 21 September 1963 ) is a former cricketer from Antigua who played 98 Test matches for the West Indies . Considered by many as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time , he took 405 Test wickets at an average of 20.99 and topped the ICC Player Rankings for much of his career to be rated the best bowler in the world . His great height — he is tall — allowed him to make the ball bounce unusually high after he delivered it ; allied to his pace and accuracy , it made him a very difficult bowler for batsmen to face . A man of few words during his career , he was notoriously reluctant to speak to journalists . He was chosen as one of the '' Wisden '' Cricketers of the Year in 1992 ; after he retired he was entered into the International Cricket Council Hall of Fame and selected as one of West Indies all-time XI by a panel of experts
Hall of Fame
ICC Cricket Hall of Fame
Curtly Ambrose