– says “Hard work carries me through my difficult times”
Fit-again Guyana and West Indies speedster Ronsford Beaton says taking wickets and increased gym time are part of his current regime as he’s hopeful that strong performances in the upcoming Cricket West Indies Regional 4-Day tournament could help him secure a spot in the Test side.
capped Test player Shivnarine Chanderpaul
Beaton, who was called to the West Indies T20 side for their series against Afghanistan back in May but did not play, spoke with Guyana Times International Sport during an exclusive interview at the Everest Cricket Club ground on Wednesday, where he along with his teammates continued their pre-season training as well as some further fine-tuning ahead of next week’s Antigua & Barbuda Cricket Association (ABCA) T20 tournament; also the 2017/18 Regional 4-Day which bowls off on October 26.
The pacer said despite his recent success in limited overs cricket, T20 especially, he is eager to play red ball cricket for the West Indies having just tasted selection without playing time. He knows he will not only need to bowl well in the upcoming 4-Dayers, but taking truckloads of wickets will further strengthen his case.
“As usual, wickets will be the key this year also my physical fitness, just being able to bowl for long periods is why I’m in the gym a lot because I’m not worried about my bowling I just want to continue my gym work ahead of the upcoming season ” he said.
During the playoffs in this this year’s Caribbean Premier League (CPL), the 25 year-old, suffered an injury during the Trinbago Knight Riders match against the St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. Prior to the injury, Beaton who ended with 11 wickets was selected to play for the West Indies in their one-off T20 match versus England, but missed out due to visas issues.
Photo by WICB Media/Randy Brooks of Brooks Latouche Photography
“I was coming off a successful T20 and being selected to go to England right after was a good accomplishment for me but unfortunately I didn’t go to England for the T20 because of visa problems. The CPL for me was great though, I played with lots of experienced guys around me and that helped me improve my game, but I’m looking forward to the tournament in Antigua and hopefully the experience I gained over the past few months, I can put it to play,” said the fast-bowler.
He also admitted that following his injury he immediately returned to training and gym which has helped him to recover tremendously. “In the CPL playoffs, I pulled up with some niggles first my hamstring then my ankle, but I’m feeling better 85 percent better. When I was told by a teammate during CPL that I was bowling 150[km/h] I didn’t know I was bowling so fast cause I wasn’t trying to bowl too fast.”
Speaking on his road to full recovery, the West Indies ‘A’ bowler said that while the injury was a slight setback, his physical demeanor and bowling form were of utmost importance thus prompting him to doubling up on his training and fitness. “I know my speed comes from the gym work that I’ve been putting in a lot of, along with my training and conditioning so my speed is up there and I want to ensure it remains up there.”
Apart from his raw pace, the quick bowler said he’s not at all worried about his actual bowling as he added a bit more to his arsenal, rather he’s placing more emphasis on ensuring he’s physically fit for the rigors of playing in the longest formats.
“Hard work carries me through my difficult times and knowing that the word around saying that I’m a limited overs player helps me to aspire more to play for the West Indies at the Test level. I know it will take a lot out of me, conditioning will play a big part in everything but I’m looking to play First-Class cricket this year cause last year I was out for a whole season, so hopefully I get selected and I can make a claim’, said Beaton.
With Guyana the reigning, defending 4-Day champs after three seasons of sheer dominance, Beaton was adamant that his team can break history and win the title for a fourth consecutive year while marking the upcoming ABCA invitational T20 as an important tournament for the team who will need to enhance their limited overs prowess.
“We are the best 4-Day team in the region over the past 3 years so I think it comes down to discipline and once you can play the longest format you can play any format. We have a lot of experienced T20 specialists, so going into the invitational tournament I’m confident but I’m also confident going into the First Class season because we have guys who aren’t selected for the T20’s but can do the job in the 4-Dayers, so I’m not worried about the transition,’ the Essequibian ended.
