Joel Garner

Lore & Background

Joel Garner was born in Enterprise, Christ Church, Barbados, and raised by his grandparents after his parents migrated to Canada and the United States. He attended St Christopher's boys primary school and later Foundation Boys, where he played cricket as an all-rounder. Coach Seymour Nurse told him, 'What's a big fellow like you doing batting or trying to bat? You're much too big to be a batsman...with your height, son, you should be bowling, fast.' Garner then attended coaching sessions organized by Charlie Griffith and Gary Sobers, learning to bowl a yorker that swung and how to use a bouncer effectively.

Garner first came to the attention of Somerset while playing for Littleborough in the Central Lancashire League, replacing Sir Garry Sobers as the club's paid man for the 1976 season. He signed for Somerset in 1977 and took 338 First Class wickets at an average of 18.10, considered the best fast bowler to play for the county. He was at Somerset during its most successful period, winning five trophies, including the 1979 Gillette Cup final where he took six wickets for 29 runs, and the 1981 Benson & Hedges Cup final where he took five wickets for 14 runs.

Garner appeared in 58 Test matches for the West Indies between 1977 and 1987, taking 259 wickets at an average barely above 20. He made his Test debut against Pakistan in 1977, taking 25 wickets in that series. At 6 feet 8 inches, he was at the time the tallest fast bowler to play Test cricket. He was dropped for the final Test of the Indian tour of the West Indies in 1983 and again for the West Indies tour of India later that year, but returned to form. In limited-overs cricket, he took 146 wickets in 98 matches, with an economy rate of 3.09 runs per over, the best ever for any bowler who bowled at least 1000 balls. His 5 for 39 in the 1979 World Cup final remains the best performance by a bowler in a final.

Reader's Guide

Joel Garner's significance lies in his role as a key fast bowler in the dominant West Indies teams that did not lose a Test series for 15 years. His height, at 6 feet 8 inches, made him an intimidating presence, and his ability to generate steep bounce and deliver devastating yorkers made him exceptionally effective in both Test and one-day cricket. He is the highest ranked ODI bowler in ICC history, and his economy rate of 3.09 runs per over remains unmatched among bowlers with at least 1000 balls. His performances in World Cup finals, particularly the 1979 final, are legendary. Garner's legacy is also tied to the era of West Indian fast-bowling dominance alongside Michael Holding, Andy Roberts, Colin Croft, Malcolm Marshall, and Courtney Walsh. After retirement, he served as interim manager of the West Indies for the tour of Sri Lanka in 2010, and as of 2016 continues as Barbados Cricket Association president, among other roles.

Did You Know?

• Joel Garner is the highest ranked One Day International bowler according to the ICC best-ever bowling ratings.
• He was 6 feet 8 inches tall, making him the tallest fast bowler to play Test cricket at the time.
• Garner took 5 for 39 in the 1979 Cricket World Cup final, the best ever performance by a bowler in a final.
• He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010.