West Indies fast bowler Jayden Seales was upset by the news that he will be sidelined for the next four months with a knee injury but has vowed to use the time off to ensure he is back a best player.
The 21-year-old from Trinidad and Tobago suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee during the recent Test tour of Australia, which the Windies lost 2-0.
Seales played the first match in Perth, bowling 21 overs in the first innings and grabbing one for 95. He bowled just three in the second innings and did not feature in the second match, which was a day/night Test at Adelaide.
Seales confirmed the news yesterday, describing the situation as “frustrating”, with the player looking to stamp his name in international cricket during the now-concluded series in Australia and the upcoming Test tour in Zimbabwe and South Africa.
“I will be out for four months and on crutches for six weeks,” he told the Express from England yesterday.
“At the moment I’m rehabbing in the UK and I’ll be back on the 22nd (December) and continue my rehab there. I can’t put any weight on my leg until the six weeks are up, so that’s basically all I can do now. “The surgery was on December 13 on my left knee, my landing leg,” he revealed.
“It’s disappointing in a way because I was hoping to use the Australia, Zimbabwe, South Africa tour to try and stamp my name in international cricket, seeing as these were my first away tours,” Seales continued.
“But having said that, this is a chance for me to come back and get stronger and fitter and gain a better understanding of my game and become a better player and a more professional player and mature in terms of knowing my body. better measure and preparing better for all the cricket I will have after my return,” he added.
The former West Indies U-19 player is still in the early stages of his Test career but has already taken 37 wickets in ten matches.
He said the prospect of being on the sidelines and missing cricket for four months made him break down, but his family came to his rescue.
“My parents handled it better than I did,” he said.
“I was actually talking to Ian Bishop during the Australia series and he said he wouldn’t mind if I had to miss a year of cricket to correct the injury and everything I needed to correct… Hearing that, I wouldn’t have been a lot. eager for it because I want to play.
“My parents sat me down, on the phone of course, and we talked as I broke down because I was frustrated that I was going to miss cricket for such a long period,” Seales continued.
“But they talked to me and gave me the advice I needed and I have the support of my family and loved ones and Cricket West Indies, who allowed me to have the surgery here and are keeping me here for rehabilitation. So it’s just a matter of doing what it takes to go out there and repay the faith they’re putting in me.”
Meanwhile, Red Force coach David Furlonge said Seales’ injury would be a huge blow to the franchise, but he is already looking to put things in place to ensure T&T will be able to mount a challenge in four-day tournament next year. .
“We’ve stepped up our training with the quicks and we’re asking more of them now and hopefully they’re up to the challenge,” Furlonge said.
