McKenzie needs first-class cricket – analysts
Published:Sunday | August 4, 2024 | 12:11 AMOrane Buchanan - Staff Reporter
FORMER JAMAICA batsman, Mark Neita, believes that a lack of sufficient cricket at the first-class level for Kirk McKenzie before taking on England in the Richards-Botham series just recently was a recipe for disaster.
McKenzie, who averaged just 5.5 runs, lost his place in the team for the upcoming Test against South Africa following his torrid time with the bat.
“I think Kirk McKenzie is a super talent. One of the unfortunate things about our young cricketers is that they don’t get enough exposure to enough first-class cricket before being thrown into the deep end,” said Neita.
McKenzie, in the three Tests, managed a top score of just 12, batting at the number-three position.
According to Neita, McKenzie needs to head back to the first-class level and get in the groove of scoring heavily again. He added that the 23-year-old has all the tools needed to be successful at the highest level.
“Playing in England is a very difficult proposition with the ball moving around, so it’s hard for me to blame somebody like that for not doing well. The transition from youth level to first-class cricket to international cricket is enormous and I don’t think we understand how big the gap between each level is. I would like Kirk to get back in first-class cricket and get accustomed to scoring heavily because he will be a standout for West Indies cricket in the future,” said Neita.
Veteran cricket analyst Joseph ‘Reds’ Perreira added that while McKenzie struggled under English conditions, getting his feet wet at the first-class level could help boost his confidence.
“He didn’t look like the young man we saw against India or Australia. England is a difficult place for young batsman, especially beginning at Lord’s. Number three is a crucial position but the good thing about this is, he’s talented and just needs to play more first-class cricket, work on his mental game and work alongside people that he trusts,” he stated.
Perreira explained that McKenzie’s attacking nature would have been good against South Africa’s bowling had he done well in England.
“Confidence is a major thing for any batsman and had he done well in England the way Kavem Hodge or Alick Athanaze did, then that would allow him to cash in on this upcoming South African tour. He’s got to be patient and put runs on the board whenever he plays for Jamaica, so all is not lost,” said Perreira.