West Indies left-arm spinner Akeal
Hosein benefitted from strong
performances in the deciding fifth
Twenty20 International (T20I) against England
at Trinidad’s Brian Lara Cricket Academy. Led
by Hosein and his left-arm spinning sidekick
Gudaksh Motie, the West Indies claimed the
T20I series 3-2 with a four-wicket win in the final
match, largely on the back of their bowling,
keeping England to 132 before completing a
chase in the final over.
Hosein, playing on home soil, took two for 20
from his allotted four overs in the match. That
moved him three spots up to an all-time high
of third in the ICC Player Rankings for T20
overtaking the Sri Lankan pair of Wanindu Hasaranga
and Maheesh Theekshana.
Having ascended to the coveted #3 spot in the ICC’s
T20i bowling ranking, Hosein, the emerging left-arm
spinner, has already set his sights on the pinnacle. His
recent surge in ranking is a testament to relentless
hard work, remarkable performances, and a voracious
appetite for improvement.
Hosein’s journey to the top has been fueled by a series
of impressive performances. His exploits in the T20I series
against England, where he claimed six wickets in five
games, stand out as a pivotal moment in his career.
Not to mention, his hat-trick for the New York Strikers
in the Abu Dhabi T10 league further upped his stock in
international cricket.Collaborating with established cricketers like Sunil
Narine and Kieron Pollard, Hosein has been meticulously
refining his skill set. He has been studying Narine’s
approach to bowling and practice routines, absorbing
the wisdom that comes from years of experience.
Simultaneously, Hosein is also working on enhancing his
batting and power-hitting abilities, drawing guidance
from Pollard’s expertise.
With a clear focus on maintaining his form and
contributing significantly to the West Indies’ success,
Hosein is gearing up for the challenges ahead. The
West Indies team, now under the fresh leadership of
head coach Darren Sammy and captain Rovman
Powell, is currently in Australia for an all-formats tour,
which includes a two-Test match series. Hosein’s
ambition is not just to be selected for the white-ball
segment of the tour, but also to continue the team’s
winning streak and deliver stellar performances in the
upcoming World Cup.
Akeal Hosein was first handed a chance to
impress for West Indies in Bangladesh in early
2021 after several senior players opted out of
the tour, but his opportunity had been a long
time coming.
Primarily a white-ball spinner, Hosein played
in the Champions League T20 as a youngster,
taking three wickets in as many games for
Barbados Tridents. In 2019-20, he proved his
red-ball credentials, snaring 36 wickets in the
regional four-day competition for Trinidad and
Tobago, and chipping in with some useful
runs from the lower-middle order. But it was in
the CPL that he enjoyed most of his success,
taking 10 wickets and bowling tightly to help
Trinbago Knight Riders win the 2020 edition of
the competition.
Source: Salman Khan