As part of West Indies’ preparations for the ICC T20 World Cup, they will take on Australia in the first of two T20Is at the Metricon Stadium in Queensland on Wednesday and the second at the Gabba in Brisbane on Friday. For that, a part of the West Indies squad went to Australia.
The much-debated all-rounder Yannic Cariah, who is on his first overseas tour with the men’s senior team, also traveled with the team.
On his first training session in Australia, he was held at Metric Stadium, and on a chilly evening, he joined teammates for an intense training session on the scenic Gold Coast. Commenting on being able to join the Twenty20 World Cup squad, he said that he is very happy to be a part of the World Cup.
“I’m feeling really great to be in the group for the upcoming series as well as the T20 World Cup to follow. We touched down and the work started. It is a great honor to represent the people of the region at any level. I’m here and ready to go… any challenges I’m ready for it,”
However, Cariah has played four T20 matches and the most special thing is that he has not played any T20 matches since 2016. But in the recently concluded ODI series against New Zealand, he got ODIs and impressed with the bat and ball on his international debut.
Chasing 213 to win the second ODI against the Kiwis, Yannic came to bat when the West Indies collapsed at 27 for 6. In the face of a humiliating defeat, he fought bravely, scoring 52 runs. Also, despite taking only three wickets in the three matches of the tournament, he showed good control and variation in his leg spin to trouble the opposition batsmen.
“The way I performed against New Zealand gave me confidence. Now we’re here in Australia … this is my first time playing here… First, I want to get used to the conditions, as we are a long way from home, and then maintain my processes and look to perform on the big stage.”
Tony Gray, a former fast bowler who participated in a certain radio program, commented on Yannic and said that he is a very intelligent player as well as a very hard worker. Commenting further, Yannic said that he honed his skills by doing a lot of fitness work at home.
“I was doing a lot of fitness work at home and sharpening up my skills. I have played a lot of cricket with many members of the team, so I’ve fitted in quite well.”
Yannic previously played for the West Indies Under-19 team in the 2010 ICC World Cup in New Zealand and captained the West Indies up-and-comers when they won the CG United Super50 in 2019.