Dick Cheney taught us that there are known unknowns and unknown unknowns, but in which of these categories Yannic Cariah falls, it is difficult to know.
West Indies’ selection of the leg-spinner must rank as one of the most left-field calls in World Cup cricket history.
Firstly, Cariah has not even been deemed worthy of a game in any of the last six editions of the Caribbean Premier League.
Not that he’s particularly closed off about it.
“It’s not my fault,” says a smiling Cariah of CPL’s continued exclusion. “These are the people who are choosing sides.”
Cariah, as becomes clear when speaking to the soft-spoken, bearded and bespectacled 30-year-old a day after his impressive international debut against Australia, doesn’t hang up the phone much.
This trait has undoubtedly been a major factor in legendary former Test opener Desmond Haynes, now Windies chief selector, lowering the two-time T20 champions’ faith in such an unproven product for the upcoming World Cup.
Playing, as Cariah did on Wednesday in Gold Coast, in just his fifth career T20 and first in six years against the reigning world champions of the format at near full strength on their home turf is as daunting as even the duties that come for newcomers to international cricket. .
But after being presented with his maiden cap before playing by fellow Trinidadian Akeal Hosein, he settled in immediately.
After getting past the outside edges of Aaron Finch and Glenn Maxwell inside his first three balls, he dismissed Maxwell in the fourth with a leg-spinning break that fooled perhaps Australia’s most accomplished short-form shot against spin .
Cariah, who counts another late-blooming Trinidadian Samuel Badree as a mentor, finished as the most economical player in the match in an assured debut outing.
“I saw wickets playing in the nets and realized what lengths were best for me to play for my style of bowling,” Cariah said.
“I adapted very quickly to mid-wicket. It made it better for me when I saw the Australians bowl early. I saw (leg-associate Adam) Zampa bowling and the lengths he was bowling.
“I knew that with my style of bowling, if I hit my zones it will be difficult for any bowler to play.”
Cariah knows that being unknown can be useful, especially in modern cricket, where coaches and analysts scrutinize players’ data and footage to spot weaknesses.
He’s also wise enough — and confident enough — to believe he might not be unknown for long.
“It’s always an advantage if someone doesn’t know you,” he said.
“The most challenging thing is when people recognize you, how do you stay at that level, maintain that level and get even better. That’s the most challenging part of any sport. I’m looking forward to that challenge.”
However, exactly how Cariah has so far flown under the radar for so long remains a mystery, even to her.
A product of Queen’s Park Cricket Club, owner of the international venue synonymous with legendary Trinidadian Brian Lara, Cariah hit a century against Sri Lanka in the 2010 U-19 World Cup where he played against stars like Ben Stokes, Josh. Hazlewood, Jos Buttler and Babar Azam.
He quickly graduated to first-class cricket with Trinidad and Tobago, taking a five-wicket haul in just his fourth match, but struggled to keep his place as a leg-spinner and instead re-emerged as a shooter and more casual.
“I put more emphasis on my batting,” explained Cariah, who has five first-class centuries to his name from 71 matches. “I came back and came back as a batsman. Then my batting took off, but my bowling was always there. I just kept getting better and better over a period of time.”
His calm leadership, too, has not gone unnoticed during a decade-long career in the country, despite the T20 revolution that has upended the economy of cricket in the Caribbean by almost completely bypassing it until now.
Chosen as an elder statesman to captain an emerging West Indies side that has taken part in the regional 50-over competition, Cariah led the team to the title in 2019 and was man of the match in the final.
This helped him into a depleted Windies ODI squad against New Zealand earlier this year and, again, he produced a standout performance; taking 6-27 in his first internationals, Cariah scored a team half-century and shared in the Windies’ highest-ever ODI partnership in the ninth over.
Now he’s in Australia for a World Cup – and some believe he could be in the mix to make his Test debut against Australia later this summer.
It is a remarkable story of perseverance and self-belief that stems from a promise Cariah made to himself during his younger days when his future as a cricketer appeared, at least to others, up in the air.
“I decided, I made a decision and I stood by it,” he said. “I always believed in it. I am blessed with a gift to play cricket. I always believed I could do it. I don’t give up.
“There were some difficulties, but I made my decision and it made it easier for me, day by day.
“When you work your whole life for something, confidence grows within you – batting, bowling, everything as a human being. I’m very confident in my ability, in what I can do and in what I believe.
“Nobody can take that away from me.”
Dettol Men’s T20I Series vs West Indies
Team Australia: Aaron Finch (c), Sean Abbott, Pat Cummins, Tim David, Cameron Green, Josh Hazlewood, Josh Inglis, Mitchell Marsh, Glenn Maxwell, Daniel Sams, Steve Smith, Mitchell Starc, Marcus Stoinis, Matthew Wade, David Warner, Adam Zampa
First T20: Australia won by three wickets
Friday October 7: The Gabba, Brisbane, 6.10pm
Buy #AUSvWI T20 tickets here
