Patrick Patterson: 10 ‘must-know’ facts about the tear-away West Indian pacer who just vanished!

Balfour Patrick Patterson, born September 15, 1961, is a former West Indian fast bowler who literally epitomised the term ‘fast’. Patterson played 59 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) scalping 90 wickets at an average of 24.51. In just 28 Tests that he played, he made a mark for himself picking up 93 wickets. Ankit Banerjee throws light on the high moments of his career and reckons he could have been the greatest fast bowler of the 90s but was mysteriously lost, probably to the bushes.

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1.  Lineage

Patterson’s father and grandfather played parish level cricket in Jamaica so he was not an alien to the game when he took it up.

2.  Overseas stint

He played for Lancashire in the English County Championship, between 1984 and 1990, and Tasmania in the Sheffield Shield 1984–85.

3.  Jamaica

He made his debut for Jamaica in 1983.

4.  Holding makes way

Patterson arrived at the international scene in the absence of Michael Holding for the 1986 Sabina Park Test against England. He made a terrific start to his career by picking up seven wickets.

5.  Left Gooch petrified

Graham Gooch, a seasoned English opener, remarked that Patterson frightened him with his tear-away pace bowling.

6.  India decimated

Patterson’s figures of five for 24 in the first Test of the 1987-88 series against India, bowled them out in 30.3 overs, or little over one session of play on the first day was a remarkable show of quality pace bowling.

7.  Tiff and Axe

During the 1992-93 tour of Australia, Patterson’s issues with the administrators were on the rise. At Brisbane, he walked off the field without saying anything to his captain, Richie Richardson. He featured in a One-Day International (ODI) triangular tournament in South Africa in 1993, but owing to increasing problems, was dropped from the squad.

8.  Location lost

The Indian Express went hunting for ‘bushman at heart’ Patterson in July 2013, but even his parents — Emelda and Morris — had no idea of his location. Although he occasionally contacts the couple, what Patterson exactly does for living still remains a mystery.

9.  Rumour mills

Some even go to the extent of saying that he’s been in a mental asylum, while there are even those who believe that the 51-year-old has now shifted base to the USA.

10.  ‘Will kill you Don’

After a match when Don Bradman walked into the West Indian dressing room and went to shake hands with Patterson, he later looked up to the 80-year old and after a protract, Patterson stood up, towering over the short-statured Bradman, and said: “You Don Bradman? You Don Bradman? I kill you, maan! I bowl at you, I kill you! I split you in two!”

West Indies already had a long day with No.10 Merv Hughes also scoring an unbeaten 72. Bradman looked Patterson in the eye and replied, “You couldn’t even get Merv Hughes out. You’d have no chance against me, mate!”

(A cricket geek to the tee, Ankit Banerjee smokes and snorts it all day long. The romance with the sport incepted since the 1996 World Cup semi-final. He is a winner of the 2011 edition of the All-India college cricket quiz.)