Blackwood promises improvement
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS (CMC): JERMAINE BLACKWOOD says the region can expect a new and improved player when he eventually returns to international cricket.
Known primarily as a dasher for his aggressive, quick-fire approach to batting, the Jamaican righthander said he plans to curb that natural attacking instinct so he can play longer innings for the Windies in the future.
“I know that I can bat for long, but sometimes, I just get ahead of myself and try to play a lot of shots, but, as you can see, I’ve kind of curbed my game a little bit more in terms of shot selection,” Blackwood said.
“But from the time I was young, I used to bat a lot of balls, so I have to just go back to those roots. Right now, currently, I think I’m on track right now because I’m batting a lot of balls [again], and that is really a plus for me right now.”
‘I guess right now, the place that I am, in terms of my cricket, I think I am in a very good place.’
FRUSTRATING FEATURE
The 28-year-old was axed from the Test side in 2017 after managing just 15 runs in three innings, but it was more the manner of his dismissals that became a frustrating feature of his batting.
Memorably, in the Lord’s third Test on the tour of 2017, two rash shots early in his innings caused his downfall for single-digit scores as the Windies crashed to a ninewicket defeat inside three days in the decisive match of the series.
Blackwood, however, signalled a turnaround in form and attitude during the just-concluded firstclass season, finishing as the leading runscorer, with 768 runs at an average of 51.
More important, his careerbest 248 against Leeward Islands Hurricanes highlighted his ability to spend long periods at the crease, and he said he hoped to incorporate this approach as a new facet of his game.
“I’m fit mentally. I’m in a good place. I’ve worked very hard – once you bat for eight hours, you know you have to be fit,” he said.
“I guess, right now, the place that I am, in terms of my cricket, I think I am in a very good place. That innings (248) showed a lot of character … .”
Blackwood praised fellow Jamaican and Windies star Andre Russell for helping in his transformation.
“Me and Andre come from a long way – from the time I was small. From when Andre started playing for Jamaica, we were friends, and … he’s been a big influence in my life,” Blackwood said.
“Like in terms of how I’m playing my cricket now, he’s a big influence, and I actually put in a lot of work at his house.”