The legacy of West Indies' pace artillery is well documented. A trampolining quick with the uncanny knack of generating disconcerting bounce from a length, Cameron Cuffy was hailed as the next big thing when he made his first-class debut in the 1990-91 season. His rich hauls for Windward Islands were rewarded with a Test debut on the tour to India in 1994. On benign tracks, Cuffy troubled the Indian batsmen with a combination of pace and bounce. Cuffy was also handed his ODI debut in the limited overs leg of the Indian sojourn.

Competing with the likes of Walsh, Ambrose and Benjamin was always a herculean task as Cuffy was pushed to the back seat. He returned for the 1996 World Cup in the subcontinent but lacked bite and penetration. The second phase of his career was marred by injuries and inconsistency as he struggled to nail down a permanent berth in the XI.

Overall, he played 15 Tests and 41 ODIs spanning around 8 years with his last international encounter coming against Bangladesh in an ODI in 2002. Cuffy's career was a promise unfulfilled.

By Deivarayan Muthu