Taylor recalls ‘brutal spell’

Former Australian captain Mark Taylor said that spell in Antigua during the 1995 tour to the West Indies was one of the most brutal he ever faced.

He has also revealed he wrote to the ICC during the tour to highlight a weakness in the laws of the game after a brutal spell from Curtly Ambrose and Courtney Walsh.

To mark the 25th anniversary of the tour that saw Australia defeat the West Indies for the first time since the summer of 1975-76, Taylor sat down with Wide World of Sports to reflect on a historic series during his time as skipper.

Billed as the unofficial battle for the No.1 ranking, Taylor's side arrived in the Caribbean determined to reverse a 2-1 West Indian victory in Australia in 1992-93.

Taylor said that the Australians were ready for the challenge and "There was no fear in that 1995 side."

During the second Test in Antigua, Taylor and opening partner Michael Slater had to face nine overs on the second evening, with Ambrose and Walsh turning up the pace.

Taylor and Slater survived the searching examination from the legendary bowlers, but not without a degree of pain, with both batsmen sporting large ice-packs on their shoulder in the dressing room afterwards.

According to Steve Waugh's tour diary, Ambrose told media prior to the second Test: "Slater is going to have 19 ambulances waiting for him when he goes into bat in this match."

"I actually wrote a letter to the ICC after that Test match, which finished in a draw," Taylor said."But that second night, we faced nine overs. That's 54 deliveries. I think 35 or 40 of them were short pitched balls that went through somewhere between chest and head height.

"Four or five balls an over were short. They were allowed two bouncers, but that doesn't count the balls at the chest. To me that was intimidatory bowling."

"If someone is bowling short all the time they're not trying to get you out, they're just trying to intimidate you."