Young talent for the future

Nyeem Young’s goal is to do well in each format whenever the Barbados Cricket Association (BCA) 2020 season gets underway.

The 19-year-old right-handed all-rounder caught the eye of cricket fans around the world with several dynamic performances with the bat and the ball for the West Indies Under-19 team at the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) Under-19 World Cup in South Africa earlier this year. He expressed his eagerness to showcase his prodigious talent to local cricket supporters whenever the domestic season – which has been postponed due the coronavirus – starts.

“If the season is played this year, my main goal is to do well in all formats, whether it be in the Elite Division or in the 50 overs or in Twenty20 tournaments. Once the pandemic goes away and the season starts I am hoping to perform well with the bat and the ball. I am not sure which version of the game will be played during the season, therefore it is difficult for me to set person goals in terms of how many runs I would like to make or how many wickets I am aiming to take. As soon as the season starts, I will be able to set personal goals,” Young told Barbados TODAY.

Young, who is an emerging player with the Barbados Tridents for the 2020 Caribbean Premier League (CPL), said if the tournament takes place he was willing to accept any role that was assigned to him within the team.

“I have goals for that tournament which is to perform well in any role that I am given, whether it be that of a bating or bowling all-rounder, a specialist bowler or batsman. My plans are to perform in any task that will benefit the team once I get the opportunity to play,” he stressed.

Young who played for Barbados Youth until he joined Carlton Club toward the end of the 2019 season said he would be returning to the Black Rock, St Michael-based club this season.

“I played four matches for Carlton in the Elite Division last season, I enjoyed playing for the club. I had some success for them towards the backend of the season when I scored 56 against the University of the West Indies and 81 against Wildey. I am looking to carry on that form into the 2020 season whenever it is played,” Young said.

The promising cricketer said he thought his style of play was more suited to the 50-overs format of the game, and his style was modelled off a number of English cricketers.

“I look at a lot of players all across the world, but I don’t have one specific favourite cricketer. I model myself off a number of English cricketers because I think my game really suits 50 overs cricket. At the moment England are on top the world in 50- over cricket due to their planning and the way their players approach the game. Therefore, I have looked at a couple of England’s batsmen and tried to model myself after them. I have spent a lot of time looking at the way Ben Stokes plays, I think he is a middle-order batsman who adjusts to situations well. Jos Butler is another batsman I have fashioned myself after. He is very aggressive, I bat in a similar position to him, therefore I think he is a good batsman for me to look at as a model,” Young said.

“Shai Hope is the batsman from the West Indies who has attracted my attention. He plays a different role from me, but I admire his concentration and consistency which are truly amazing. Jason Holder, Dwayne Bravo and Chris Jordan are the bowlers I admire. In my view Jason is a very consistent bowler who has the ability to pick up wickets at anytime during the game, he is a very effective bowler. I make an effort to watch him a lot anytime he is bowling. Bravo likes to bowl a lot of variations which is something I also like to do. He likes to bowl a lot of slower balls and has the ability to mix up his variations at different times to contrasting batsmen which is amazing. I consider he and Jason two bowlers that I can learn a lot from right here in the Caribbean. I tend to bowl at the death which brings my variations into play a lot, and that is the reason I have regard for Jordan who bowls towards the end of the innings and is very effective in that role. I am constantly analysing the way he bowls in the closing stages of an innings and try to replicate his variations including the slow ball,” the medium-fast bowler noted.

Young, who is an ultra-attacking batsman, disclosed that he enjoyed batting more than bowling. 

“Personally, I prefer batting. I started out as a bowler who could bat a bit during my primary school days and when I began playing Under-13 cricket for Dover Juniors, somehow I drifted into batting and it became my first love. I prefer playing a batsman’s role. Sometimes I am selected as an all-rounder and I bat low in the order at number seven or eight, while all the time I am longing to bat higher. But due to my bowling I am pushed down the order. I like to bat at five or six where I can control the latter half of the batting, and I build an innings. I try to score quickly and play attacking strokes but I know how to mix attack with defence. I want to bat at number five or six, which would give me the opportunity to express myself with the bat and build a platform to launch an onslaught on the bowlers in the final overs. I also enjoy bowling especially at the end of an innings where I can use my variations which is my main asset  to outfox batsmen,” the young talent said.

He was lavish in his praise for former West Indies fast bowlers Ezra Moseley and Corey Collymore who coached him at various stages in his fledgling career.

“Corey has been there for me for a very long time. But it all started with Ezra Moseley who was my coach at the St Michael School. He had a lot of confidence in me. I remember batting for two days in a match against Deighton Griffith School and Mr. Moseley told me if I wanted to bat all three days I could have. Those words showed me how much confidence he had in my ability to bat. I have a huge amount of respect for Mr. Moseley because he is the one that helped boost my cricket career when I was extremely young and pushed me to the point that I am at right now.  After him, Corey is the one who has been a massive influence on me. He keeps in regular contact with me and has always encouraged me to think positively and has guided me along the right path at all times. I remember when I played in my first World Cup, Corey was there, he would always have me in his room discussing cricket and other topics that were not related to the game. I am very thankful for the guidance that Corey has given me and the knowledge he has shared with me so far. I know Corey will continue to help me improve my game as a cricketer,” Young asserted.

He stated it was very difficult for him to exercise at the moment because of the COVID-19-related lockdown in the island. He said he was however thankful that the BCA had established a fitness programme for Under -23 cricketers who are part of the cohort of the Sir Everton Weekes Centre of Excellence.

“The programme they have sent out allows us to do our strength and conditioning. We have to do  exercises four days a week, which is very important for cricketers. The programme allows us to keep fit, so that when this pandemic is over we will be fit to play cricket. I have also set up a practice area at my home where my grandfather throws balls at me on mornings or evenings depending on the time that is best suited for us. The length is not long enough to allow to bowl, but I am thankful to be getting in some kind of practice so that whenever the season starts I will be ready to go,” young said.