A BLESSING INDEED!
J’can batsman Mccarthy aims to grasp Windies opportunity with both hands
Having always felt a yearning for a call-up to represent West indies in One-day internationals (Odis), andre Mccarthy is not only happy that his dream is about to come to fruition, but believes he is mentally and physically armed and ready for his debut.
The Jamaican middle-order batsman was named in the regional side’s 15-man squad to tackle Bangladesh in a threematch ODI series during their tour of the south Asian country next month. The teams will also square off in two Test matches.
This series will be the West Indies’ first assignment in the ODI Super League and will be their third tour since the novel coronavirus pandemic hit, having already visited England and New Zealand.
Mccarthy, who has only made one Twenty20 appearance for the West Indies against Pakistan in 2018, is one of several new faces selected for the tour due to the absence of more experienced players, including Test Captain Jason Holder and limited-overs Captain Kieron Pollard, who opted out of the tour for Covid-19-related or “personal reasons”.
Still, any opportunity to sport the maroon is always welcomed and Mccarthy, like the others, will be aiming to grasp it with both hands and hopefully do some damage with both bat and ball — provided they make the final cut for each game.
“Opportunities come in different ways and this is just one of those occasions where an opportunity has presented itself and we just have to make the most of it. So, to be honest, it is a very good feeling for me and I am just looking to go out there and do what I always do in 50-over cricket, just play positive and score runs,” said Mccarthy, who will be joined in the ODI squad by compatriots Rovman Powell and Nkrumah Bonner.
“It is always good rubbing shoulders with some of your countrymen in the West Indies team, so it’s a good feeling making the step up and it is just for me to go out there, stay focused and perform as best as I can because obviously it is my first time so I am just looking to make a mark,” he told the Jamaica Observer.
Mccarthy, 33, who made his debut for Jamaica across all formats of the game in 2013, was voted the best all-rounder in last year’s Super50 tournament, after scoring 363 runs and taking 11 wickets in eight matches for Jamaica.
That, coupled with the hard work over the years, he believes speaks volumes where his selection is concerned.
“The last Super50 tournament was really good for me, so I am just looking to build on that and you know the selectors were looking on me and they saw the performance and I believe that’s what earned me this call,” the right-hand batsman, who bowls off-spin, noted.
He continued: “I am ready both mentally and physically, I played a T20 game for West Indies already and when I was walking out there I said to myself, ‘This is where I belong’. So I know once I put on that maroon and go out there all of my hard work training in the mornings will pay off because I was always setting up myself to be a part of the team.
“So it just for me to keep fit and strong and do what I have to do when we get on the field, which is showing what I am capable of with both bat and ball.”
Despite the disappointment of missing out on the Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) Tweny20 tournament after coming in contact with a positive case, Mccarthy pointed out that he continued the necessary work and committed himself in preparation for some action in the new year.
Little did the player, affectionately called “Blobber” by his peers, know that his first line of duty would be in the West Indies set-up.
“It was unfortunate because I tested negative, but everything happens for a reason and this is the call that I have always been waiting for and like I said, it is just for me now to make the best use of it,” the Melbourne Cricket Club representative stated.
“When I got the call I was saying to myself it was good that I never took the year for granted because of the virus. I was always practising and putting in the work and this [selection] is just the icing on the cake and it goes to show that as a sportsman you have to continue working hard and believing no matter what,” he added.
With the lessons learnt from the unfortunate incident, Mccarthy says is now taking the necessary precautions to remain safe until their January 10 departure for the tour which kicks off on January 20.
Hailed by lead selector for the West Indies Roger Harper for his fighting and competitive spirit, the aggressive righthand batsman, who has some experience from his 2018 stint in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), is expected to be the proverbial engine room of the touring team.
“Going to Bangladesh it always feels like you are going into a (biosecure) bubble because you don’t really get much chance to go out so that won’t be much of a problem for me. It is just weird now to be playing the game without fans but it is something we as players have to just adjust for the time being,” he said in reference to the quarantine protocols in place for the tour.
ST JOHN’S, Antigua (CMC) — Chief Selector Roger Harper says the uncapped trio of Kavem Hodge, Kyle Mayers and Shayne Moseley have the potential to make a difference for West Indies in the longest format, following their inclusion in the 15-man Test squad for the tour of Bangladesh.
Their selection came as a surprise Tuesday, following the withdrawal of six players from the Test squad, including long-standing captain and leading all-rounder Jason Holder, due to what Cricket West Indies (CWI) said were “COVID-19 related concerns or personal fears”.
Harper said the two-test tour would serve as an excellent opportunity for the three players to make their marks.
“Kavem Hodge will be on his first tour with the team. He has been around for a few years and has made a case for himself and he now gets his chance,” Harper said.
“The fact that he also bowls left-arm spin has certainly helped his cause.
“We also have Kyle Mayers and Shayne Moseley, who have both toured with the team to England and New Zealand as reserves, being selected in the Test squad for the first time.
“Moseley, coming off successful ‘A Team’ games in New Zealand and Mayers who has performed well in each of the CWI regional tournaments and also the CPL [Caribbean Priemier League], over the last year.”
Hodge, a 27-year-old Dominican, boasts a modest record, with three hundreds in 40 first-class games at an average of just 28, while taking 44 wickets.
In the last four-day season, however, he scored 454 runs at an average of nearly 38, with one hundred for Windward Islands Volcanoes.
“He’s been knocking on the door for quite a while, and this is his opportunity,” Harper continued.
“I think he had a very decent regional four-day championship earlier this year. His left-arm spin could also be a plus for the team as well, especially with someone like Roston Chase missing. That could be an advantage [for us].
“Opportunities like this come for a reason so this is his chance to show what he can do at the highest level.”
Mayers, meanwhile, flourished over the last year in first-class cricket, plundering 654 runs at an average of 50, with two hundreds in the four-day tournament for Barbados Pride.
An ultra-attacking lefthander, the 28-year-old made his debut for West Indies in the Twenty20 International series against New Zealand last month with little fanfare.
He also failed to impress in two four-day “Tests” against New Zealand A earlier this month.
Moseley, 26, was one to shine against New Zealand A, hitting a hundred and a 50 in the second “Test” in Nelson, to back up 490 runs at an average of 35 for Pride during the last first-class season.
Harper said while the trio were inexperienced, like several included in the one-day squad, he expected to see a high level of pride in performances.
“I expect our players to play with purpose, with passion and with the desire to prove that they belong at this level. We look forward to that with a great sense of excitement and anticipation,” Harper stressed.
West Indies arrive in Bangladesh on January 10 and will play two Tests — the first in Chattogram from February 3-7 and the second starting four days later in Dhaka.