In just his second match at Regional First Class level, medium pacer Keemo Paul produced match figures of 9 for 64 on home tuff to route the Windward Islands Volcanoes and give Guyana Jaguars their third consecutive four-day title.
Guyana Times Sport caught up with the energetic player on Wednesday to inquire about the feeling of producing such a phenomenal feat, not just at home but in front of his father, David Paul.
“I produced a good spell of 6 for 28 [first innings], it was very good feeling being in conditions suiting me for swing bowling so I went there and put the ball in the right spots to get wickets; my father came to watch and I was just trying to make him proud and do my best for my country and it paid off,” the 19 year-old revealed.
The right-arm bowler whose debut against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force in round seven of the on-going Digicel Regional Four-Day tournament was cut short due a hand injury has shown to be fast learner, very abreast with the construct of modern day cricket. Most would remember him for the sensational World Cup victory with the West Indies under-19s last year in Bangladesh but it was the his mankad against Zimbabwe to propel his side into the quarter-finals that sent his name in shockwaves around the cricketing world.
Keemo Paul
Now a senior cricketer, the player acknowledged that alot of hard work will be expected and he is willing to learn. “It is much tougher, I have to be much more patient put allot of good balls in areas and wait, I am grooving in; I am getting full support from the guys especially the captain [Leon Johnson], the guys are 100% behind me and it is helping to relax my nerves.”
With the preverbal ‘golden-arm’ continues to reap consistent success whenever on the field with bat and ball, but it was interesting to know if the stellar performances could breed overconfidence.
“The confidence is definitely there but I don’t want to be too overconfident, I am just taking it step by step and I want to keep producing and learning the game” the Demerara Cricket Club player responded. Nipping the new-ball around and being a menace to batsmen is not the only goal of the former West Indies under-19 vice-captain as he feels he can add more to his highest score of 46 and also consistently make big impacts for the team in the lower order.
Paul, who was a substitute fielder during last year’s final match against Jamaica Scorpions at Providence witnessed the then West Indies Director of Cricket, Richard Pybus handed the Headley/Weeks Trophy to the Jaguars and will yet again be able to hold the coveted prize in 2017 as the Jaguars have completed the three-peat.
“It is a great achievement winning back to back titles, it is something that don’t happen very regular; it is great to be part of it this year which makes it much more special.”
Paul will have another chance to showcase his skills when the Jaguars face the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in their final match beginning on Friday at Providence.
