'I'm still looking to lead the West Indies attack'
Jerome Taylor's career has been beset by injuries, but after yet another layoff he's now playing in the IPL and raring to get back into the national side
Interview by Siddhartha Talya
08-May-2011
Jerome Taylor was one of the leading fast-bowling prospects for West Indies when success in domestic cricket won him an international debut at the age of 18 in 2003. Rising to become the side's spearhead in 2006 and demolishing England at Sabina Park in 2009, he has sparkled off and on, but injuries have taken their toll, limiting him to just 29 Tests. Coming off another layoff from international cricket (he wasn't picked for the World Cup), he is now playing for the Pune Warriors in the IPL, shaping up to get back into the reckoning for national selection. .
How much has the back problem hurt your aspirations?
It might have affected the goals I set early, but those can be altered as you go along. I'm still aspiring to lead the West Indies attack and be among the players who can bring back the glory days. Coming here will give me that boost mentally to go back and play again. I came here with an injury and to date that has been sorted and I'm happy to be bowling again.
It might have affected the goals I set early, but those can be altered as you go along. I'm still aspiring to lead the West Indies attack and be among the players who can bring back the glory days. Coming here will give me that boost mentally to go back and play again. I came here with an injury and to date that has been sorted and I'm happy to be bowling again.
Is the IPL a platform for you to break into the national side?
Coming here is just to make sure that I give a good account of myself. I was supposed to play in the IPL in 2009 and 2010, but have only come here in 2011. I've had a belated start due to injury but since I've started playing here, I've felt better with each game. Coming here has been the best thing that has happened in the last two years. Since I've been here, the medical team and I have been working on it and I'm finding that I'm feeling much better after bowling. I just want to make sure I do the right things, and ensure the people who are looking on can see. As far as the national team is concerned, once I can make sure that I'm fitter and stronger and putting in the work to get back to full fitness, the rest will work itself out.
Coming here is just to make sure that I give a good account of myself. I was supposed to play in the IPL in 2009 and 2010, but have only come here in 2011. I've had a belated start due to injury but since I've started playing here, I've felt better with each game. Coming here has been the best thing that has happened in the last two years. Since I've been here, the medical team and I have been working on it and I'm finding that I'm feeling much better after bowling. I just want to make sure I do the right things, and ensure the people who are looking on can see. As far as the national team is concerned, once I can make sure that I'm fitter and stronger and putting in the work to get back to full fitness, the rest will work itself out.
How fit are you at the moment?
At this point my body is feeling good. I won't say I'm 100% fit as yet but fit enough to play and will get fitter as I continue to play. You just can't wait until you are totally pain-free and 100% fit to start playing. You have to gradually ease your way back in. You have to know your pain barrier and how much pain you can play with. I have never been 100% fit. I always have niggles but they are workable, so I manage them and play with them.
At this point my body is feeling good. I won't say I'm 100% fit as yet but fit enough to play and will get fitter as I continue to play. You just can't wait until you are totally pain-free and 100% fit to start playing. You have to gradually ease your way back in. You have to know your pain barrier and how much pain you can play with. I have never been 100% fit. I always have niggles but they are workable, so I manage them and play with them.
Has the injury had an effect on your pace? Have you had to modify your action?
I've lost some pace and have tweaked my action a little bit, but that was way back in 2003. Since then there haven't been any changes - though the injuries have recurred.
I've lost some pace and have tweaked my action a little bit, but that was way back in 2003. Since then there haven't been any changes - though the injuries have recurred.
Moving the ball is my main weapon right now. As a fast bowler, you need to bring something to the table on these surfaces. I do have to maintain a certain pace. I don't want to get it too low. As you go along, age might take its toll on your body, and you focus more on moving the ball about.
There have been differences between senior players, who were left out of the start of the limited-overs series against Pakistan, and the board. What do you think is the way forward?
West Indies cricket has been declining somewhat for a while. I don't think it'll help the situation if the seniors are left out and only juniors are playing. You are playing against tough teams. You have India going to the Caribbean soon. So you need to have some of the senior players, if not most, around, so that the youngsters can feed off their experience. We need to ensure that we have the right balance and combination.
West Indies cricket has been declining somewhat for a while. I don't think it'll help the situation if the seniors are left out and only juniors are playing. You are playing against tough teams. You have India going to the Caribbean soon. So you need to have some of the senior players, if not most, around, so that the youngsters can feed off their experience. We need to ensure that we have the right balance and combination.
We're not here to just play cricket and represent West Indies; we need people who can actually compete. We're winning games but we need to start winning series and tournaments. We need to make sure that we're seriously challenging teams and pushing them close. That'll help us get better. The wins won't be far away then, and it'll help us repay the faith of our fans in the Caribbean.
"I'm always bowling at the death and in the Powerplay. I understand what it's like to be under pressure when there are people coming at you. I'm prepared to deal with that."
Was missing out on a WICB central contract a setback? There was also criticism from the board about you not taking your rehabilitation seriously.
It wasn't a major setback since I had been playing without a central contract before. You need to be playing to earn that and maybe the performances were not up to the expected standards because I hadn't been playing much due to injuries.
It wasn't a major setback since I had been playing without a central contract before. You need to be playing to earn that and maybe the performances were not up to the expected standards because I hadn't been playing much due to injuries.
As far as the comments about not being committed to rehab, I have the necessary proof to show that I have taken my rehab seriously. It's always been my dream to play for West Indies. Whenever I get hurt and come home, I'd make sure I do what I have to do to get back on the park.
In times when things are down, people are going to point fingers at somebody. My shoulders are broad enough, and I've experienced situations when I've been under pressure. I'm always bowling at the death and in the Powerplay. I understand what it's like to be under pressure when there are people coming at you. I'm prepared to deal with that.
Once you're an international cricketer, you've got to be ready and prepared to deal with whatever comments people are going to make. You know whether that's true or not true, and when it's not true it makes no sense losing sleep over it.
Michael Holding recently questioned why the WICB granted you a no-objection certificate for the IPL. Were you in touch with the WICB before coming to India?
I asked the WICB for an NOC since I wasn't a contracted player with the WICB. I didn't get selected in the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup, which none of the selectors said anything to me about, even though I was fit enough to be preparing for the domestic first-class competition. I wasn't sure I was going to be selected, so I had to keep my options open. It was a case where I didn't want to be at home, waiting to be selected, not get picked and let this opportunity pass me for a third year in a row.
I asked the WICB for an NOC since I wasn't a contracted player with the WICB. I didn't get selected in the 30-man preliminary squad for the World Cup, which none of the selectors said anything to me about, even though I was fit enough to be preparing for the domestic first-class competition. I wasn't sure I was going to be selected, so I had to keep my options open. It was a case where I didn't want to be at home, waiting to be selected, not get picked and let this opportunity pass me for a third year in a row.
Was I in touch with the WICB? I had a chat with Robert Haynes [part of the WICB selection panel] during the Four Day Competition and an exchange of emails with the WICB CEO, Dr Ernest Hilaire, about the NOC. But no one contacted me about my injury before I came here.
The Jamaica Cricket Association sent me to see Dr Akshai Mansingh, who is on the WICB medical panel, after I had trouble [with my back] during one of the games in the Four Day competition. He told me the injury was nothing to keep me out of playing for too long. That's why I opted to come here.
On April 7, 2011, after I had arrived in India, I received an email from Dr Hilaire - and the Pune Warriors management and medical staff also let me know - that he needed a report on my medical status for his purposes of informing the IPL [about my fitness].
Why do you think the injury has been recurring?
The physios here with Pune Warriors know about biomechanics and how it works. Your body needs to be working in a certain sequence. As fast bowlers, though, we are aware when one's body isn't made for fast bowling. With a slim frame like mine, and exerting the kind of force that I do, bowling in the high 80s, you know these things are going to happen. So the most I can do is try to strengthen the body and try to prevent them.
The physios here with Pune Warriors know about biomechanics and how it works. Your body needs to be working in a certain sequence. As fast bowlers, though, we are aware when one's body isn't made for fast bowling. With a slim frame like mine, and exerting the kind of force that I do, bowling in the high 80s, you know these things are going to happen. So the most I can do is try to strengthen the body and try to prevent them.
There are always going to be observations and speculations about who gets injured more than others, and that happens. You have batsmen getting injured regularly. I'm doing much more than standing and hitting a few balls, so when these things happen you just have to take it, be a man, and try to make things right again.
In 2006, you took five-fors against India and Pakistan and a one-day hat-trick against Australia. Is that the best you've bowled?
I wouldn't say that; it's just that the results showed. I have bowled far better than that and haven't had the results to show for it. You can think back to when I played against England in Sabina Park. Everything was just right while bowling at that particular time - the ball was landing in the right areas and the result just came my way. That year was a good year for me [2006] and it helped highlight Jerome Taylor somewhat. I'm looking forward to having even better years than that.
I wouldn't say that; it's just that the results showed. I have bowled far better than that and haven't had the results to show for it. You can think back to when I played against England in Sabina Park. Everything was just right while bowling at that particular time - the ball was landing in the right areas and the result just came my way. That year was a good year for me [2006] and it helped highlight Jerome Taylor somewhat. I'm looking forward to having even better years than that.
Are you setting your mind to the Indian tour of the West Indies?
I am looking forward to it [trying to break into the national side]. Being here is to make sure that I get everything moving in the right direction and the body feels okay when I head back to the Caribbean. I am also an ambassador of Digicel, who is our main sponsor, and getting into the mix of things will help enable me to fulfill my obligations with them as well.
I am looking forward to it [trying to break into the national side]. Being here is to make sure that I get everything moving in the right direction and the body feels okay when I head back to the Caribbean. I am also an ambassador of Digicel, who is our main sponsor, and getting into the mix of things will help enable me to fulfill my obligations with them as well.
Pune Warriors have had a difficult first season. How do you see things going from here?
We have youngsters as well as experienced players and what the youngsters have got to do is feed off the experience of the seniors. This is not only for this year but the next couple of years as well. Whatever's happening now, hopefully we can learn from it. We just need more application and need to be thinking on our feet. We have to show that kind of commitment to being more precise and direct about what we're doing on the field. It's our first year, and this year's a learning experience and we hope we come up next year and give our franchise a lot more to cheer about.
We have youngsters as well as experienced players and what the youngsters have got to do is feed off the experience of the seniors. This is not only for this year but the next couple of years as well. Whatever's happening now, hopefully we can learn from it. We just need more application and need to be thinking on our feet. We have to show that kind of commitment to being more precise and direct about what we're doing on the field. It's our first year, and this year's a learning experience and we hope we come up next year and give our franchise a lot more to cheer about.
Siddhartha Talya is a sub editor at ESPNcricinfo