Trinidad and Tobago fast bowler Jayden Seales has returned to training with the Red Force franchise after recovering from a knee injury and targeting a return to competitive action by the end of the month.
Seales played three matches for Trinibago Knight Riders in the 2022 Hero Caribbean Premier League before his knee injury and so far the 21-year-old said he is on track to return to action for the West Indies Super50 Cricket Cup, set for early. next month, and possibly the West Indies Test series against Australia in November and December.
On Monday, Reds coach David Furlonge confirmed that Seales had resumed training and is working his way back up to 100 percent.
“He started training and every day he increases his workload. One day he bowled 18 balls and the next day 24, so he’s building up to full strength so he should be ready by the time the tournament starts,” Furlonge said.
Yesterday, Seales confirmed his ambition to play in the Super50 Cup and said his recovery has been “good so far”. He said the injury was not as bad as first thought and it was just a matter of rehabilitation and all that was needed to build back strength in the knee.
As for his progression back to a full workload, Seales said he started bowling last week with two overs at 60 per cent and then went to three at 70 per cent. He is now playing at 70 per cent with six goals, but hopes to go on a longer run at 100 per cent over the next week to see where he is.
“I’m supposed to do three weeks of therapy and I’m on week three now and I’m pain-free, so it’s just about building it up to 100 percent and seeing how it feels and when I do that then I’ll do it.” I know where I am and how I feel,” Seales explained.
“I’m definitely looking forward to the Super50,” he continued. “I’m not sure what the team will be, but hopefully we can put together a tournament-winning team and we can go and perform as well as we can. My aim is to make sure my mind is clear and that I’m not studying the knee injury, so I can give 100 per cent for the team without feeling any pain or discomfort and hopefully we can get the wins we need. added.
Seales, who has expressed his desire to play all formats of the game, has so far featured in nine Tests for the West Indies, picking up 36 wickets. He has also played seven ODIs for the regional side but is yet to play a T20 International.
Asked if he considered reducing the amount of cricket he plays to minimize potential injuries, the seamer said: “If I’m brutally honest, I’d say no.”
He continued, “The main reason behind it is that I’ve played a lot of cricket over the last six months or so and it (being injured) was not as a result of the amount of cricket I played. I think it was me not being able to get my gym sessions in between the little breaks and maybe I recovered properly,” he reasoned.
“I haven’t played much white-ball cricket for West Indies. I think I just have to attend the gym sessions in between the amount of cricket I play and manage myself on the days when I don’t need to go to the extent that I do,” he concluded.
