Old pro Roach urges Windies quicks to build own 'legacy'

As Shamar Joseph enjoyed a blinding Test debut in Adelaide last week, one man knew what he was experiencing better than most – Kemar Roach.

The 24-year-old Joseph took five wickets in an ultra-impressive maiden performance which included the scalp of Steve Smith with his first ball, and 14 years earlier Roach was also making waves Down Under against an Australian legend.

Then 21-years-old, Roach was into just the fourth Test of his 80-match career when he smashed Ricky Ponting's elbow in a fiery spell at Perth's WACA Ground, making the entire cricketing world take notice in anticipation of the West Indies' next big thing.

Although his bowling speed has dropped away over the past decade and a half, Roach has been a constant in the West Indies XI and his longevity is now more impressive than his sheer pace.

And with 15 years of experience at the highest level of the game, Roach knows his role in the bowling group now isn't as the enforcer but as the mentor of the next generation of quicks, which includes Shamar Joseph (one Test), Alzarri Joseph (31 Tests), Justin Greaves (one Test) and Akeem Jordan (yet to debut). 

"I had that when I started – Jerome Taylor, Darren Powell, Fidel Edwards – guys who are willing to help me when I started my career," Roach told reporters at the Gabba on Tuesday. 

"I took knowledge and learning from it.

"For me now, it's all about passing on the mantle down to the youngsters."

Roach now sits in fifth place among West Indies all-time Test wicket-takers with 267, having recently passed legendary figures Joel Garner (259) and Michael Holding (249). 

As a self-confessed lover of Test cricket, Roach has gone down the opposite path to many of his contemporaries by focusing his career on the red-ball format and not chasing the cash on the T20 circuit.  

And according to Roach that will be the biggest challenge facing the exciting Joseph, who will have some difficult decisions to make as his star continues to rise.

"The best advice I can give him is to build his own legacy," Roach said. 

"Understand what you want from cricket. That's up to him to determine if it's monetary or if it's just statistics.

"There's going to be a lot of distractions, he's a hot commodity right now."

The Windies achieved a 14-year first in the first innings in Adelaide by capturing all 10 Australian wickets in an innings.

All nine innings the Aussies have batted at home against the Windies since the 2009 Perth Test were declared closed, and not bowled out. 

Roach, who is now into his fourth Test tour of Australia, says it's a positive sign that shows progress from their tour here last year and one that will fill the group with great confidence.

"I thought we handled ourselves pretty well with the ball (in Adelaide)," Roach said.

"(We) fought back into the game.

"Bowling Australia out in under 90 overs – that's a major achievement for a young bowling line-up. 

"It's a confidence builder for the group and (now) it's about us communicating and planning well again. (It's a) pink ball so it's going to be a little bit different." 

NRMA Insurance Test series v West Indies

First Test: Australia won by 10 wickets

Second Test: January 25-29, Gabba (3pm AEDT)

Australia Test squad: Pat Cummins (c), Scott Boland, Alex Carey, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Mitchell Marsh, Matthew Renshaw, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc

West Indies Test squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (c), Alzarri Joseph (vc), Tagenarine Chanderpaul, Kirk McKenzie, Alick Athanaze, Kavem Hodge, Justin Greaves, Joshua Da Silva, Akeem Jordan, Gudakesh Motie, Kemar Roach, Kevin Sinclair, Tevin Imlach, Shamar Joseph, Zachary McCaskie

Men's Dettol ODI Series v West Indies

February 2: MCG, 2.30pm AEDT

February 4: SCG, 2.30pm AEDT

February 6: Manuka Oval, Canberra 2.30pm AEDT

Australia ODI squad: Steve Smith (c), Travis Head (vc), Sean Abbott, Xavier Bartlett, Jake Fraser-McGurk, Cameron Green, Aaron Hardie, Josh Inglis, Marnus Labuschagne, Lance Morris, Matt Short, Will Sutherland, Adam Zampa

West Indies ODI squad: Shai Hope (c), Alzarri Joseph, Alick Athanaze, Teddy Bishop, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Matthew Forde, Justin Greaves, Kavem Hodge, Tevin Imlach, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas, Hayden Walsh Jr.

Men's Dettol T20I Series v West Indies

February 9: Blundstone Arena, Hobart 7.00pm AEDT

February 11: Adelaide Oval, 7pm AEDT

February 13: Perth Stadium, 7pm AEDT

West Indies T20I squad: Rovman Powell (c), Shai Hope, Johnson Charles, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Akeal Hosein, Alzarri Joseph, Brandon King, Kyle Mayers, Gudakesh Motie, Nicholas Pooran, Andre Russell, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas