By Akeem Greene
Tevin Adrian Imlach, 24, is one of three fresh faces in the Guyana Jaguars squad for next month’s Super50 Regional in Antigua.
The soft-spoken keeper / batsman said his will and ability to succeed comes from the high emphasis he places on personal fitness, and is a great example of how extra work can pay dividends the long term.
Only in his last year did the Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) player wear national colors in his last year at the under-19 level and the success story that followed is well documented.
Life has come full circle for him since he knocked the dangerous Rishabh Pant off bowling Alzarri Joseph then took great custody to dismiss Anmolpreet Singh, who set up the ICC India Under-19 World Cup final against India in 2016.
While four of his fellow under-19s have gone on to play Tests and One-Day Internationals for the West Indies, Imlach is still finding his feet at the regional level.
He has only played two First Class matches with little success and five A-list matches for the West Indies team in the 2018 Super50.
He had success there and produced a vital 57 * and took three catches, which helped team B defeat the Wind Islands Volcanoes.
The self-belief that he can succeed at the highest comes from the fact that his fitness level is higher than most.
“Ever since the pandemic began, we’ve been doing a lot of work with our physio [Neil Barry Jr.] on Zoom calls, just different things to keep us ready. When we came out, we did some cardio and were well prepared, ”he said Sports Newsroom.
Imlach is understood to be one of the top performers of the Guyana Jaguars in the recent Yo-Yo test, continuing a trend it has developed over the years.
“It’s quite simple; avoid oily foods, drink lots of water and need to train and do lots of fitness work. Once you feel confident about yourself, think afterward and have that belief [physically] you are good enough to achieve whatever you want. “
He added, “For me if I’m running the Yo-Yo test, I already set a target in my head and it’s not my plan to come out until I get it. Fitness helps you focus or train longer and train more efficiently and that’s the importance of fitness and we all need it as cricketers to push our game forward and extend our careers. “
Imlach said he was open to any role the team needed; his A-list success came in middle order, but judging from the combination of the Guyana Jaguars squad, unless he starts in front of first-choice keeper Anthony Bramble, he may be asked to offer a potential role as an opener.
For many batsmen in the Caribbean, strike rotation has been a problem, and the man whose teammates usually call him ‘Padlock’ for his solid defense, says he has been working on being more innovative in putting pressure back on the bowlers.
“Being a little more innovative and understanding what the bowlers want to do and you’re working against it and putting pressure on them.”
“I’ve been doing a lot of work in the nets over the last two months, working on dropping the ball short, getting inside the line, and turning the ball [off the hips] and things like that. I’ve been doing some work and I think I’ve improved. ”
Imlach is the second of his parents’ three children and said he simply wants to make the most of this opportunity.
He especially wants to make his father Louis Imlach proud; the elder Imlach never misses a game in which his son is a part.