Seales wants performance to motivate new generation

KINGSTON, Jamaica (CMC):

WHEN JAYDEN Seales took to the field at Sabina Park on the second day of the second Test against Bangladesh at Sabina Park on Sunday, breaking records was not on his mind.

“On the performance of four for five it’s not something I tried for.

“I just bowled in good areas for the team and tried to build pressure for the other bowlers to come and express themselves and do their job for the team as well, and it paid off in the end today and I’m very pleased with the performance,” said Seales.

However, the 23-year-old Trinidadian fast bowler produced a historic performance against Bangladesh by taking four wickets while conceding just five runs from 15.5 overs, to end with the most economical figures in Test cricket since 1977, with a minimum 60 balls being bowled.

Following his historic performance, which helped to rout Bangladesh for 164 in their first innings, Seales said he hoped it would inspire the next generation of West Indies cricketers.

“For me, I think it’s very important. When I was a young boy growing up, I watched West Indies cricket for a long, long time and obviously seeing it as a young boy and seeing it now playing and seeing the youngsters watching, it’s obviously a good thing.

“Not often now you would see the youngsters coming out to watch the game and be so enthusiastic about it, so I hope that us, as a team collectively, can motivate a whole generation to come,” Seales said.

With his record-breaking spell, Seales continued his love affair with Jamaica, where he has taken 15 wickets more than any other venue.

More confident

While he enjoys playing cricket in Jamaica, Seales, who is playing in just his 16th Test, said he was also now beginning to hone his skills and become more confident as a bowler.

“The pitch is a slow one, but I always love to play cricket in Jamaica, mainly because the pitch always does a lot for the bowlers throughout the entire day and today it showed that the ball was still doing a lot and it worked for us today.

“I also love to play cricket here because the crowd comes out, which is surprising for us in the Caribbean, so having that crowd pushing us on and the Jamaican under-15 boys were giving me a bit of energy down at the end of my spell as well,” Seales said.

“But now I’m using my skills a lot more and trying to set up as well a lot more and make them look for my stock delivery when I’m not going to bowl it.

“I had a problem with getting wickets in the second innings of Test matches before, so it’s something that I went back and worked on, in terms of my fitness and staying strong throughout the entire game and being able to put in the performances all the time,” he added.