That 'maan' Courtney - the pride of Jamaica

"Courtney tells me that the fast bowlers of today don't have pride, maan. They just want to be seen as superstars." This wasn't said by a cricketer, but by a taxi driver listening to commentary of the final one-dayer between West Indies and Zimbabwe. It tells you a bit about Courtney Walsh's stature in these parts. It also tells you the down-to-earth nature of the man.

Courtney is everyone's pal, to such an extent that men on the street know his schedule. "Courtney's not in the island at the moment," said one shop vendor, "but go to Cuddy'z on Mother's Day [May 14]. He will get her there for lunch." He was bang on target as Walsh, one of Jamaica's most famous sons, decided to treat his mother at Cuddy'z, the restro-bar he owns in New Kingston.

When approached for a chat, with peppy reggae music enlivening the atmosphere, he lets out a wry smile: "I don't know much about cricket, maan. Ask my mother, she is a better watcher of cricket than me." The special bond between Joan and Courtney is palpable. "I try and make it a point to be in Jamaica on this special day, so that I can spend most of the time with my mother," he says with glowing admiration. "Her contribution towards my growth as a cricketer was immense. She is a big cricket fan from time to time. She probably knows more about the game than I do, in terms of watching it. I'm her only child - my brothers and sisters are from my father's side - so there is a special bond. I treat her every mother's day, take her out somewhere different."

The waitresses at Cuddy'z, who adore Courtney, can't stop talking about "their maan" and quickly add: "If Curtly and Courtney decide to come back from retirement, they will still make it to the team". Courtney blushes. "That's very, very good to hear," he says, "but I don't think it is possible. It shows the confidence the people have in us. West Indies have declined but there are a number of reasons for that - we lost a lot of players over a number of years; we didn't have a structure in place. With the World Cup around the corner, things are looking up. We have a young and talented team with both youth and experience."

The pitches have definitely been a factor, so has the fact that youngsters are increasingly drawn towards other sports. "I think we haven't done much work in relation to infrastructure. As a result our pitches have suffered, and our cricket has suffered. "Soccer has come very, very close to becoming the No.1 sport. Cricket's strength is that it's the only game that all countries in the Caribbean play together as a team. Jamaica and Trinidad have qualified for the football World Cup and the popularity is always increasing, but cricket is still slightly ahead because we play it as one team."

Yet, he's optimistic about the future, and feels that Brian Lara's ability to inspire and talented youngsters coming through can lift sagging spirits. "He [Lara] can lead from the front and he's got the team behind him," he continues. "The youngsters have a chance to learn something from him. The World Cup is round the corner and I think everything is going in the right direction. India are strong opposition, they have some talented players. But we are also rebuilding for the future and it will be a good contest. I wouldn't put India as favourites because West Indies are playing at home and they can be very good if they get their balance right. India probably have a slight edge in the one-day game but things are very even in the five-day arena."

There is one man, though, who Walsh will miss, the only name that the locals feel can be taken in the same breath as Lara. "Tendulkar is still a massive name here and I'm disappointed from a personal point of view because I would have brought him here [to my restaurant]. The Tendulkar-Lara battle is always great to watch and they do like seeing good cricket in the Caribbean. It was always a great challenge to bowl against a great player like him." But is his time up? Can he regain the touch of old? "Only Sachin can know when his time is up. He's a tremendous player and he's bound to go through bad patches. You can't afford to write off such players. I don't think he's finished yet and I think he has a lot of cricket left in him."

Even if the Caribbean public don't get a chance to see Tendulkar this time around, they still have next year, when he should arrive for the World Cup. Walsh can't hide his excitement while talking about the event, saying that it provides an ideal opportunity for the Caribbean to showcase the local delights. "It's a great place to play cricket and it will be a huge boost for West Indies. It will be a different kind of event in many ways - music, colour, atmosphere. If at all they go on to win it, cricket will get back its rightful place in the hearts of the Caribbean people. A successful World Cup will show our organisational and infrastructural capabilities."

Almost apologetically, Courtney, the archetypal mama's boy, says he would need to rejoin Joan. He would need to make plans for the evening, to "trouble her a bit more". As he shakes my hand for the last time, with an almighty clench of the palms, gazing down from what seems like an astronomical height, one feels the enormity of the man - a true giant, whichever way you look at it.