Deadpan and deadly. Wicket or boundary, not a flicker of emotion would be evident save a gunslinger's narrowing of the eyes. Andy Roberts kept his emotions in check. But under the veneer was an intelligent cricketer with a fertile brain, plotting and planning the downfall of batters as if it were a military campaign.

The modern West Indian game based on the heavy artillery of fast bowlers, which served so well for a quarter of a century, began with him. Here was a bowler whose pace came from timing, with power from a huge pair of shoulders. His bouncer was regarded as one of the most dangerous. He varied its pace, often setting batters up with a slower one and then poleaxing them when they were late on the quickie.

It took Roberts less than two and a half years to reach 100 Test wickets, the quickest at that point, and his best years were unquestionably in the middle 1970s, before the Packer revolution. Later he became jaded, and the edge went from his pace, although his experience and ability to move the ball kept him in Test cricket until 1983-84.