All-rounder Paul embracing the label of match-winner

HARARE, Zimbabwe (CMC):

Keemo Paul finds the label of “match-winner” appealing and wants to put it to the test when West Indies open their campaign in the ICC men’s World Cup qualifiers next Sunday.

The 25-year-old all-rounder returned from a near year-long spell on the sidelines in last week’s three-match One-Day International series against the United Arab Emirates and believes the June 18 to July 9 tournament provides the ideal stage for his explosive talents.

“I definitely think I’m a match winner. I always try to be positive. I always try to be my own hype man,” Paul told the International Cricket Council website.

“I just try to motivate myself as much as possible. People may say that I am a match winner, but I want to prove it.

“I’m at a stage now in my career where I need to do better and where I need to actually stand up as a match winner and put in those performances.

“Every game, I go there with that mentality now to be a match winner, so I think it is going to come very, very soon.”

Hampered by injury

Paul has been identified as one of the Caribbean’s brightest all-round talents in all formats but is yet to really make his mark on the game.

He has played 25 ODIs and 23 T20 Internationals without a single 50, and with one five-wicket haul – in a T20I against Bangladesh in Dhaka five years ago.

Hampered by injury in recent years, Paul said mental strength was key to performing at the highest level following any period away from the game.

“I’ve been out for a while, and to come back, I’m just really excited to play some cricket and to perform back amongst my friends, people that I call my second family,” he said.

“I’ve always been a hard worker, but I would say I’ve had to dial in more on specifics and get mentally tough to get back here.

“Cricket is all about being mentally strong. It was just about speaking to the right people, getting the right motivation, and also motivating myself.”

West Indies will find themselves under the microscope in the upcoming campaign, especially following their failure to qualify for last year’s T20 World Cup in Australia.

But Paul said the Shai Hope-led unit was confident of being one of the two teams to clinch a berth in the World Cup in India later this year.

“I wouldn’t say not qualifying would be a failure, but I wouldn’t look down that road because I think we’ll definitely qualify,” said Paul.

“In life, I don’t see anything as a failure. It’s all about learning and moving forward. I’m pretty confident, and that’s the mood in the camp. We’re up for it, so I definitely think that we will qualify.”