(Cricinfo) Jerome Taylor, the West Indies fast bowler, has said his recovery from a hip injury has been going well ahead of the ICC World Twenty20 which starts in the Caribbean on April 30. Taylor, who sustained the injury during the first Test against Australia in Brisbane last year, made a return in the Jamaica Cricket Association Festival, playing against Ireland.
“I felt really good with my performance in the T20 match against Ireland at Sabina,” Taylor told reporters. “I was relaxed and just went out and bowled like normal. The body was feeling quite good and I’m quite happy with the work I put in. My run-up was clean and my delivery stride was good so it all went according to the plan that myself and the coach had in place. I didn’t have any nerves. It was a case of going out there in the middle and delivering.”
Taylor, who has represented West Indies in 12 Twenty20 internationals, has grabbed 17 wickets at an average of 20.23. However, he has been a touch expensive, going at 8.19 an over. In the game against Ireland, Taylor made an unbeaten 10 and bowled a full quota of four overs for 30 runs and picked a wicket. His successful rehabilitation following the injury is a boost for West Indies ahead of the global tournament.
“I was happy with the time I had at the camp in Barbados and the work I put in with the coach,” Taylor said. “It was the ideal way to approach the situation. It (rehabilitation) can be a mental thing … I feel strong mentally and physically. In any cricket you play, winning is always the keep, and the overall team effort in the Festival was quite pleasing to myself and all the others in the squad.
“The frame of mind I’m in at the moment, I just want to go out and put in big performances and look to play my part in the process of winning, and helping the West Indies to be victories in the ICC World T20 tournament.”
