Lucknow, Oct 5 (SocialNews.XYZ) Uncapped batter Kamil Pooran admitted to being left speechless and in shock upon receiving his maiden West Indies T20I call-up for the upcoming series against India, adding that the national team selection is the ultimate reward for years of relentless hard work on the domestic circuit.
Pooran, 30, earned his spot in the T20Is following a breakout debut season in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where he finished as the top scorer for St Lucia Kings. Pooran amassed 273 runs in eight innings at an explosive strike rate of 159.64, and established himself as one of the most destructive new talents in the region.
"Firstly, I was speechless. I was in shock. That day when I got the news, I was in shock almost the whole training session, the whole day back home. But I was very happy also because I put in a lot of work and the hard work pays off," Pooran told CWI on Monday.
Cricket West Indies (CWI) had said that Pooran’s inclusion is due to a ‘deliberate approach towards identifying and developing emerging talent ahead of the 2028 T20 World Cup.’
Pooran's journey to the top has been built on perseverance. After making his first-class debut for Trinidad at 26, it took him another four years of consistent performances to earn his first CPL contract.
"To be honest, I was pretty shocked getting selected in the CPL, first of all. I told myself when I got selected, what's the worst thing that could happen if I put my all into it, train hard, dedicate? Put my everything into the sport right now, what could happen? This is the reward, this is the outcome. I'm just thankful right now for everything," he recalled.
Sharing the news with his family was his immediate priority upon learning of his selection. "The first person was my mother. I called her as soon as possible. When I got back to the hotel after the training session, I called her one time, and I told her.
“She was very, very happy and excited. My family supports me a lot back home. My uncle, aunties, everyone there supports me 100 percent. It means a lot to me to make each one of them proud," revealed Pooran.
A self-proclaimed fan of off-side strokeplay, Pooran singled out his favourite shots ahead of his potential international debut in Lucknow on Tuesday. "Batting, obviously. I love the square cut with the ball. That's my favourite shot. Square cut, cover drive - mainly offside. That's my strength, I would say."
Having grown up idolising Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar, and now keenly following India Test and ODI captain Shubman Gill, Pooran admitted that sharing a dressing room with senior stars in the West Indies team still feels surreal.
"To me, I'm a fanboy. It may seem funny, but I grew up watching almost everyone here play cricket at the highest level. To be here is something that I dreamt of. To be here, to listen to the conversations, to laugh with them, to have that conversation about cricket in general life. It's something that is very hard to explain for me. I'm still in shock; I'm just happy that I'm here," concluded Pooran.
Source: IANS
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