West Indies Jayden Seales hails Wahab Riaz, Suranga Lakmal's mentoring after LPL stint
Young fast bowler in line to make ODI debut against Ireland this week
Posted - 2022-01-07T12:17:36+06:00
Updated - 2022-01-07T12:17:36+06:00
Jayden Seales will make his ODI debut for West Indies against Ireland on Saturday, knowing that his ability to adapt to situations and learn on the job will be crucial given his limited experience in professional cricket over 50.
Seales, who turned 20 in September, made his testing debut as a teenager last year and impressed in a West Indian jersey, taking 16 wickets at 21:31 in his four international appearances to date.
He only played three List A games in his fledgling career but was an important part of the Jaffna Kings aspect as they won the Lanka Premier League last month and can try to deal with problems with ease when they do these Week with the primary of three ODIs - all in Sabina Park - on Saturday.
Seales was playing in an overseas franchise league for the first time and took 15 wickets in only seven appearances. He was part of the same squad as Suranga Lakmal and Wahab Riaz, and credited them with helping him to develop his death bowling.
"In the team I was with, there were a lot of people in my age group [so] we mostly went to the gym and worked out a lot together," Seales said in a digital press conference on Thursday. “But when it came to fast bowling, I hung out with Suranga Lakmal and Wahab Riaz a lot.
“They mentored me in relation to my Death Bowling. I think that was the biggest fight for me in the tournament, bowling my Yorkers and things like that. The proximity of these guys gave me a little more confidence in my Death Bowling and has helped me throughout the tournament.
Seales - who was additionally named as a reserve for the T20I sequence in opposition to Ireland and England later this month - recommended that he should make some effort in his election resulting from his rapid rise to prominence.
"I think I've been under pressure for most of my career so far as I'm a young player and performing," he said. “Now the media and everyone is going to look at me [and say] he has to perform, or if he doesn't perform it could be because he's too young.
"Yes, there is pressure, but I don't take it per se. I just go out there, enjoy my cricket and play my best. If I do a good job for the team that day then I'm very happy.
“I was born into a family of cricketers at the age of three - I started playing windball cricket with my family outside. I was the youngest and smallest and they never made it easy for me That made me competitive and got myself evolved into the cricketer I am today - it made me love the game even more.
"I thought I started playing international cricket when I was 21 or 22 years old. That was the age I gave my parents, I told them when I was 21 that I would be at the top. Luckily came it used to be. I'm very grateful for the opportunity and just enjoying it. "