Aggressive Jamaican batsman Rovman Powell says he is willing to adjust to gain success on the expected slow and low pitches in Sri Lanka when West Indies A tour there in October.
The 23-year-old, who has never played on the Asian subcontinent, is part of the 14-man One-Day squad to be captained by Jason Mohammed. It is Powell’s first call-up to West Indies A team.
“Yeah, the pitches in Sri Lanka are not the easiest to play on, but this is where you have to adjust as a player,” Powell told the Jamaica Observer.
“They (teammates who have played in such conditions) would just tell you that you have to wait on the ball a little longer and play the ball under your eyes,” added the right-handed batsman.
Wrist spinner Damion Jacobs, batsman Andre McCarthy and wicketkeeper Chadwick Walton are the other Jamaicans in the One-Day squad.
The West Indians are scheduled to play three One-Day games against Sri Lanka A between October 24 and 30.
Powell has also been included in the senior West Indies squad to face Pakistan in three Twenty20 Internationals in United Arab Emirates. The first match is slated for Friday.
Powell, who also bowls useful medium pace, was drafted by the Jamaica Tallawahs to play in the 2016 Caribbean Premier League (CPL) in the summer.
There he showcased clean hitting abilities, crafty bowling and athletic fielding prowess. He won many plaudits as the Tallawahs swept to their second Twenty20 title.
It has been almost a meteoric rise for the Old Harbour native, who played locally for St Catherine CC before switching to The University of the West Indies (UWI) to honour a scholarship deal.
The Tallawahs Head Coach Paul Nixon said in July that Powell has the hitting power of another Jamaican, Andre Russell, combined with the grace of former West Indies batting stars Brian Lara or Carl Hooper.
While many in local circles knew what he was capable of, Powell said the CPL introduced him to a wider audience.
“Yeah, things happen quickly, but such is the nature of the sport. I had a few good seasons of local cricket with UWI, [but] the CPL was where I showed that I can play cricket. People can expect some good performances and I will try to continue to build a name for myself.
“I feel very good knowing that the hard work that I am putting in is paying off. Thanks to The University of the West Indies’ sport department for their continued support, and also to Coach Robert Samuels for his guidance,” he said.
One-day — Jason Mohammed (captain), Andre Fletcher (vice-captain), Rovman Powell, Kyle Hope, Chadwick Walton, Andre McCarthy, Assad Fudadin, Veerasammy Permaul, Jon-Russ Jaggesar, Damion Jacobs, Delorn Johnson, Ronsford Beaton, Kesrick Williams, Kyle Mayers.
