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Recovering Jerome Taylor eyes South Africa return
Jerome Taylor
Jamaica and West Indies fast bowling ace Jerome Taylor is eyeing a return to international cricket against the visiting South Africans in May after he pulled out of the Test tour of Australia last December with a back injury.
On that tour the regional team was depending on his guile and accuracy to lead an inexperienced bowling attack against the Aussies, but the pacer was forced to withdraw after bowling just nine overs in the first Test. TAYLOR… everything is coming on fine
Taylor said he may feature in the latter part of the home series against Zimbabwe, which starts next month, but stressed that his main goal is to be ready for South Africa.
“Right now South Africa is my priority so I’m trying to get myself in shape and to be ready for South Africa. They are a very strong team and coming back into cricket I wouldn’t mind facing a good team. I want to show the people of Jamaica and West Indies that Jerome Taylor is still here and here to stay and I want to represent West Indies well and make the people of the Caribbean feel proud. That is first and foremost in my mind right now,” the speedster said.
Jamaica’s national senior coach, Junior Bennett, had recently described Taylor’s injury as a “back stiffness” and told this newspaper that a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scan revealed no stress fracture as was earlier feared.
Explained Taylor: “There wasn’t any sort of bone damage or stress fracture. It had to do with a disc problem… resting on the nerve so I have been getting therapy and the pain has been minimal so I’ve started to do some strength work. I’m working on it (my recovery), so hopefully within the next couple of weeks or so I should be back on the park again.”
Taylor, who has taken 82 Test wickets at an average 35.64, did in excess of 30 minutes bowling in the practice nets when Jamaica were on a two-week break earlier this month from the West Indies Cricket Board 2010 regional four-day competition.
He said he felt sore the day after, but attributed this to him being rusty after not competing for almost two months.
“My pace was about 75 or 80% and after bowling for half an hour and it (my back) started to feel tight… maybe it happened because I didn’t do a lot of bowling before then. The day after it was sore so it’s something we’ll have to gradually ease in,” he said.
The 25-year-old pacer, who also has a Test hundred to his name cautioned that he was still in recovery and would rush back into cricket prematurely.
“Everything is coming on fine and it’s just a case where I have to be wary of what is happening. I don’t want to rush back in because I have a lot of cricket to play. I have to take the time out and follow the training procedures step by step or I may end up hurting myself again. I have to make sure that when I come back it is a brand new Jerome Taylor who returns fit and stronger,” he told the Observer.
While many have likened Taylor’s bowling action to the late iconic Malcolm Marshall, the recovering bowler claims his mentor is another West Indies fast bowling great, Jamaican Courtney Walsh.
Nonetheless, the St Elizabeth native revealed that he also has admires Marshall and Curtly Ambrose.
“I have watched tapes of him (Marshall) and he’s somebody I would want to emulate. ‘Cuddy’ Walsh is like a father figure to me. He’s always giving support even though things have not been going well recently.
He is somebody I always want to emulate as well. Those two bowlers along with Curtly Ambrose… I’ve always admired them.
Walsh is always there for me so he is the closest (role model). I’m working and trying to see if I can come and make a name for myself so that someone can come and want to be like Jerome Taylor one day,” he said.
When asked about the possibility of being in the same regional team as tear-away fast bowlers Fidel Edwards and Kemar Roach, Taylor said that while the latter still has a lot to learn, he is hoping that such a combination could help steer West Indies back to the top echelon of cricket.
“Playing with Fidel is fun and we have an understanding and know how to go about things when playing.
Roach still has some way to go and lessons to learn about the game, which I think he is doing right now, but playing with him is always a pleasure as well and I know people are very optimistic that the three of us playing together can be a turning point,” he said.
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