Promising fast-bowler Qumar Torrington is hopeful that, once selected for national duties in the upcoming Cricket West Indies Regional Under-19 championships scheduled for July-August in Barbados, he can push the throttle and unleash some menacing pace on pitches that should offer him support.
The inter-county under-19 tournament finished earlier this month, but there still has been no official release from the Guyana Cricket Board on who has made the final cut for the title defence.
However, it certainly will be a hard pill to swallow if the youngster, who was clearly the quickest seamer in the competition, does not make the cut.
Standing alongside young Windies fast-bowler Alzarri Joseph, Torrington is aspiring to become the next fast rising player from the Caribbean
“It would be a really good feeling to hear I would have been selected for Guyana to play in the upcoming regional U-19 tournament in Barbados. This is something I would look forward to, knowing the nature of the pitches in Barbados — they have a lot of bounce, and one of my main wicket-taking deliveries is the bouncer, and I’m pretty sure it would be successful”, the 17-year-old told Guyana Times Sport in a recent interview.
The lanky seamer, has a smooth approach to the crease, with a slight jump before delivery. It is there that he generates an appreciable amount of pace. While beating the bat on numerous occasions, the wicket column has not exploded, nor has he taken five wickets in three matches.
Qumar Torrington is a young fast-bowler who looks to have a promising future (Akeem Greene Photo)
“On a scale of one to 10, I would say a 7, although I wasn’t that consistent with wickets; but I gave it a 110 % effort in most games to try to put the team in a winning position”, the Demerara Cricket Club player stated as he reflected on the inter-county tournament.
He added, “I tried to keep the ball on a good line and length, and just look for a little swing because of the pitches; so much bounce wasn’t in my favour”.
This year’s tournament can see Guyana creating a dynasty in the one-day version if they can capture their fifth successive title, and the former Windies U-16 player knows that should he be in the squad, he has a vital role to play.
“In preparation, I would be working in the nets to further perfect my various skills, for example yorker, slow-ball bouncer; and try to keep my muscle memory working, so that when the tournament starts, this would be something I would have possibly perfected, and could be successful in every attempt, so that the team can be successful in the tournament as defending champions,” he declared.
Given his ability and experience, it would not be much of a surprise if his captain sees him as one of his “go-to” bowlers, which for the Chase Academic Foundation student means no added pressure.
“Well, basically, for me pressure is something I don’t really succumb to. I always back my ability to deliver for my team, and the only way that’s possible is by getting early wickets for the team, to put them in a good position early on in the game”, the former national under-17 player confidently posited.
