Twenty-year-old all-rounder Keemo Paul has described his rapid ascension to the West Indies senior side as nothing short of a “dream come through.”
The Guyanese was called up as a replacement player for the injured Sheldon Cottrell, who was ruled out of Caribbean side’s ongoing ICC World Cup Qualifiers in Zimbabwe.
Paul is currently on West Indies ‘A’ team duties, where he is not only displaying exceptional form but also the ability to succeed at the top level.
His recent returns of 5-49 against the touring England Lions could not have come at a better time, which perhaps prompted the West Indies to give him the nod.
“I was really excited and emotional at the same time because it was a dream come through for me,” the Essequibian told Stabroek Sport.
“This is really a dream year for me regarding my cricketing career,” he added as he reflected on the earned opportunities, three months into the year.
He is one of those young cricketers who seems as if he has been around forever and who can brag about his impressive resume; he came through the ranks of youth cricket, representing Guyana at the junior levels.
He, however, shot to prominence in the 2016 edition of under – 19 World Cup, playing a significant role in Caribbean’s side first triumph at the ICC Youth showpiece under the leadership of Shimron Hetmyer, who is also currently making strides in senior West Indies set-up.
“I will definitely bring a lot of energy to the team, and I’m willing to play whatever role they need from me. I just want to continue doing the things that got me here and keep exciting them [selectors],”
He also declared that he has been following the team’s campaign and is backing his new family to continue their momentum.
Ever since his heroics in the 2016 edition of the ICC under-19 World Cup, Paul has carried the expectation of being one of the players earmarked to go on to the senior West Indies team.
To date, he has not disappointed and is now regarded as an all-rounder with the genuine ability to swing the tide of a game with both ball and bat.
His returns have seen him proving pundits correct, after bagging 42 wickets in the last regional four-day competition, behind spinners Veerasammy Permaul (50) and Imran Khan (48). He also recorded his maiden first-class century against Jamaica at the Guyana National Stadium, Providence.
No doubt, those factors contributed to him earning his maiden call-up to the West Indies ‘A’ team and senior team.
