Jerome Taylor in action
Jamaican Fast bowler Jerome Taylor says he was not surprised by his call up to the West Indies training squad for the upcoming test series against New Zealand starting on June 8 at Sabina Park.
Taylor has been sidelined from international cricket for the past 4 years following a spate of back related injuries.
This week he was rewarded with a call up by the West Indies selectors after proving his fitness with a full season of first class cricket.
Taylor last played for the West Indies in an ODI Series against South Africa June 2010.
“Honestly, I would not say I am surprised, because I have never been left out of the team due to performance. It is just that fitness has always been my real thing, which really kept me out of the game," Taylor noted.
He contunued: “My game this season, was to really just pull through the season and play all the games, and I have accomplished that. At that point I just think that, look I have accomplished that, wickets were there as well, and I just hope that the selectors will find me useful for the team”, Taylor remarked.
Taylor has so far captured 82 wickets in 29 test matches at an average of 35.64.
He says he still has his eyes on the record of legendary Jamaica and West Indies fast bowler, Courtney Walsh.
“One would want to think that Courtney Walsh is the greatest fast bowler, to pick up over 500 wickets. I used to put that as my bench mark, I wanted to surpass him somewhat but who knows. It is still a game of cricket and a lot of things can happen in the couple of years which I have left to play cricket," said the graceful fast bowler. " I am just taking it in stride; I am looking at the series coming ahead. If I am selected to play in all three games, hopefully I can close in on 100 test wickets, if not pass 100 test wickets”, Taylor added.
Taylor's last test match was against Australia in December 2009.
He will leave Jamaica next week to join the West Indies training squad in Barbados ahead of the first test.
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