Veerasammy Permaul, the Guyana Jaguars left-arm spinner said yesterday that he was thrilled to be back in the West Indies setup ahead of the ‘A’ team’s tour of Sri Lanka which bowls off from October 1-November 1, 2016.
The 27-year-old, who was named in the West Indies ‘A’ One Day International (ODI) team led by Jason Mohammed, will face Sri Lanka’s ‘A’ side in three limited over matches on October 24, 27 and 30 and Permaul told Stabroek Sport in an exclusive interview yesterday that his hard work over the past few season had finally paid off.
“It feels great to get back here, I’ve been performing all the time and it’s nice to see it caught the eyes of the selectors,” said Permaul who played six Tests and six ODI’s for the West Indies from 2013-2015.
A top performer at the Regional level, Permaul ended the 2014/15 season as the leading wicket-taker with a little over 60 wickets.
His form continued the following season as ended with 40 wickets, which placed him fourth on the list of wicket-takers for the 2015/16 season.
Leading the Lower Corentyne side in the ongoing Guyana Cricket Board (GCB) Jaguars Franchise League three-day tournament, the ex-West Indies Under-19 bowler has collected 19 wickets from just two rounds.
Despite being a major wicket taker over the past two years both locally and regionally, the Berbician found it difficult to force his way back into the West Indies frame until now. When asked on the significance of this tour especially ahead of the Professional Cricket league (PCL) season, Permaul said “I’m just looking to go out there and give my all and perform to the best of my ability.”
A recall to the West Indies ‘A’ team could be the first step to a senior team recall and Permaul admitted that he will need to perform well grab the opportunity with both hands. “I’ve been working really hard, I always want to do well when I cross that rope. I always go out to do my best knowing I’m one of the key bowlers and a lot depends on me.
“It’s a process now for me to go with the A team and do Well. I think I have done a lot in Regional cricket and it’s just to now grab the opportunity and do well in the A team and see how it goes from there.”
With a total of 26 international wickets to his name, the Guyana Amazon Warriors player said while getting back into the West Indies senior team is his goal, he’s keen on taking it one step at a time.
“I’m not looking too far ahead, I just want to do well with the A team for now and when PCL starts I’ll be looking to continue from where I left off from the previous season,” he ended.
