Forde focused on being the best he can be

By Morissa Lindsay

Barbadian cricketer Jakeem Forde sees a bright future ahead for him in the sport and continues to work hard because he believes that he is ready to represent Barbados at the senior level having done so at juniors.

The 20-year-old former Christ Church Foundation School student returned home to Barbados having been out of the country playing cricket in England over the course of the last six months which he said was a good experience.

During a telephone interview with Barbados TODAY, the genuine all-rounder who bowls pace and represented his country at the regional Under-15 competition in 2017 underneath the then head coach Richard Clarke, noted that over the past two years he has learned a lot about his cricket and improved significantly.

“Most definitely, I think that I understood the game moreover the last two years and I know how to take up that challenge with both hands and try to excel in both the areas I’m good at. I hope that one day I can make it at the top level despite wherever it is and just enjoy every moment in the journey (of cricket),” Forde explained.

The young St. Philip resident who is also a product of Christ Church Boys Primary School comes from a cricketing family as his father Ian Forde also played the game along
with his two cousins Stefon and Dominic Brathwaite.

In the summer of this year Forde travelled with a Barbados select team to South Africa where they played a couple matches. Also this year, Forde played at Rubis where he featured in the Barbados trials for players who were vying for selection to represent Cricket West Indies at the Under-19 World Cup.

During his six months stint, Forde played for Mold Cricket Club in the Premier League Division where he registered a maiden century (102) along with two half centuries and accumulated 389 runs for the season.

A determined young man with good upbringing and from an alma mater that has produced the likes of legendary West Indies fast bowler Joel Garner and current England pacer Jofra Archer, Forde is
hoping to one day join that elite rank of players who have played at the international level and is focusing hard on his game to get there.

“I would say that I look up to myself because I really push myself to the limits because I know where I can be and should be,” Forde added. morissalindsay@barbadostoday.bb