- Courtney Walsh was the first fast bowler to take 500 Test wickets.
- Captained the West Indies in 22 tests.
- Did not get to open the bowling till 1993-94, when he was more than 30 years old. While most expected that Walsh wouldn't be able to perform having lost pace in the preceding years, from his promotion to opening the attack right upto his retirement alone in 2001 Walsh took over 300 wickets, that too at a significantly better average and strike rate than the one he had during his tenure as a stock bowler for his initial 7 years with the West Indies.
- His new ball partnership with decade long colleague and good friend Curtly Ambrose yielded 421 scalps in 49 tests.
- Debuted for the West Indies as a third or occasionally fourth change bowler in 1984 when the team's pace attack was dominated by Joel Garner, Michael Holding and Malcolm Marshall.
- Has the most economical five-wicket haul in One Day Internationals. He took 5 wickets for conceding only 1 run in a match against Sri Lanka at Sharjah in 1986.
- Amongst all bowlers who have taken 500 wickets or more in test cricket, Walsh is the only one to never take 8 wickets in a single innings. His best bowling figures are 7/37 against New Zealand.
- Although Australia's Glenn McGrath and England's James Anderson surpassed him as leading wicket takers amongst fast-bowlers, Walsh still has the highest number of wickets by a pacer in overseas tests with 290 [2021].
- Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1987.
- Has the third highest number of test wickets for any bowler after turning 35, surpassed only by Clarrie Grimmert and Shane Warne, both of whom happened to be spinners. Walsh after turning 35 till his retirement in 2001(aged 39) took 180 wickets in 39 tests at an outstanding average of 21.61, the highest for a fast bowler in the mentioned criteria.
- Took 77 wickets in 17 tests played in the Indian subcontinent at an average of only 20.53, the highest tally for a non Asian fast bowler touring the region.
- Inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in 2010.
- As a tribute to his accomplishments when Walsh retired in 2001, legendary England all-rounder Sir Ian Botham commented that "Walsh didn't bowl fast for a long tenure of 17 years just coz he stayed fit. Instead, he stayed fit coz he kept bowling".
- During the final group match against Pakistan in the 1987 World Cup, Walsh took bowling positions with West Indies requiring just 1 wicket to seal the game to enter the semi-finals and upon reaching the crease observed that non-striker Salim Jaffer had left the crease. Although it was legal for Walsh to run out Jaffer, he instead indicated to Jaffer with an angry expression to get back into the crease. Jaffer complied and the on strike batsman hit the winning runs the following delivery, resulting in West Indies crashing out of the tournament. Whilst criticized throughout the Caribbean for this gesture, the team management alongside skipper Sir Vivian Richards defended Walsh, stating that sportsmanship is above winning.
- Was voted by Wisden as the 10th greatest test match bowler of all-time in 2001. He was only the second West Indian in the countdown, behind the late Malcolm Marshall who finished 7th.
- On his final tour of England in 2000-01, he took 34 wickets in 5 tests, falling just 1 scalp short of the record for the most number of wickets by a West Indies bowler in a single test series, held by Malcolm Marshall who took 35 wickets, also during the 5 test tour of England in 1988.
- Amongst bowlers with at least 100 wickets in lost tests, Walsh's average of 25.09 is the second best behind Pakistani legend Wasim Akram who averaged 24.69 for his 109 wickets taken in the 27 tests lost by Pakistan. If the criteria is raised to 150 wickets, Walsh's average remains the best.[October 2022].
- Represented Gloucestershire County Cricket Club in the English First Class circuit from 1984 to 1998, captaining the side for 3 seasons. He took 869 wickets averaging 20.01 during his tenure at the club and an additional 243 wickets in List A matches.
- Became the first West Indies captain since the 1950s to suffer a complete series whitewash as during the 1997-98 tour of Pakistan, West Indies were defeated in each the 3 tests, 2 of them by an innings margin without even reaching the final day and the third by 10 wickets after following on.
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