Now that he’s been recalled to the West Indies white ball
teams fast-bowler Oshane Thomas is also determined
to get back on the test team. Thomas has been
recalled to the West Indies squad for its ongoing T20I five-match
series against the visiting Indians. He was also a member
of the selected squad for the preceding three-match ODI series
but didn’t make the final playing XI for any of the encounters.
Commenting on the speedster’s recall to the West Indies white-ball
squads, Lead Selector Desmond Haynes said: “Oshane has played at the
international level before, with some success, and we believe he will fit
well into the set-up. Oshane brings pace and is a potential wicket-taker
with the new ball.”
Prior to his West Indies white-ball squad return, the 26-year-old, who
has taken 27 wickets from 20 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) was in
Gloucestershire where he played with local club Frocester. Thomas
told Guardian Sports he was working hard and putting in the work to
return to the Caribbean team. “I’m in a program that I got from the
Cricket West Indies. It’s been going good,” he said.
Thomas explained what the programme and regimen include. “I go to the
gym from Monday to Friday. I have running on Wednesday and Thursday
during the week and two matches on the weekend. I’m pretty busy to be
honest.”
With all the hard work and effort being put out, Thomas, who made his
first professional appearance for the Jamaica Tallawahs in 2016, says he
is committed to playing the longer version of the game after playing
more white ball cricket. “Definitely I want to play four-day cricket.
I’d definitely love to play Test cricket in the future. So, I am going to
play four-day, Super50 and I am going to play the full season. I will
try to play franchise cricket but once
the four-day comes around, I will be
fully committed to play.”
When Thomas was a fixture on the
West Indies team, Alzarri Joseph did
not yet establish himself firmly in the
team. Since then, the quick Antiguan
has emerged as the premier fastbowler
in the Caribbean. Thomas is
looking forward to bowling with his
fellow fast bowler, something he has
never done before. “I had a meeting
with the selector a few weeks ago.
That is one of the things that we talked
about. Definitely putting in the work.
I would love to go back (on the West
Indies team) and be bowling from
one end and Alzarri bowling from the
other end. We are the fastest bowlers
in the Caribbean, so I think it will be
a good combination and a good thing
for the West Indies.”
Thomas has played 60 T20 matches
and has taken 74 wickets at an average
of 23.79. He is looking forward
to adding to those figures in the
upcoming Caribbean Premier League
(CPL) season with his new franchise
St Kitts and Nevis Patriots. “I’ve been
playing in the CPL for about six to
seven years now. It doesn’t matter
what franchise I’m going to. I already
know most of the local guys. I played
with them or against them in the past
so I am looking forward to the CPL.
This CPL is going to be a big one for
me.”
Like most Caribbean people, whether living in the
Caribbean or the diaspora in any part of the globe, Thomas
was hurt by the West Indies’ performance and subsequent
elimination from the World Cup Qualifiers. The two-time
world champions lost matches against Zimbabwe, and
associate teams Netherlands and Scotland in a three-match
slide. The West Indies will miss the ODI World Cup for the
first time in its history. “It hurt everyone in the Caribbean.
Everyone expected the West Indies team to come out
(qualify) comfortably. It was painful to watch.”
The Jamaican is hoping the team can bounce back and get
back to winning ways so they can “make the Caribbean
proud.”