Photo Credit: Cricket West Indies
West indies left-arm spinner Akeal Hosein has been impressive in his two outings so far at the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Called up as a replacement for the injured Fabian Allen, he slotted straight into the team and has made an impact.
The highlight so far has been his remarkable caught-and-bowl of England batter Liam Livingstone at the Dubai International Stadium last Saturday. It was athleticism and ball-sense at its very best. Hosein sent down the perfect delivery which challenged the batter’s technique. Livingstone shaped to play slightly toward the leg-side, but the ball took a leading edge and ballooned to the bowler’s left. With his eyes fixed on the ball, Hosein dived full stretch to his left and caught the it inches from the ground with one hand.
“The energy in the field was good. The catch … it was just one of those days, where you’re in good rhythm, good spirits with good energy and I made up my mind to go for it and it stuck,” he said. The remarkable effort sparked merriment on and off the field. He was surrounded by his team-mates and the fans on social media erupted with celebration and praise for the “Play of the Day”.
Hosein has bowled with great control and guile. He picked up two wickets in that opening contest against England. He was back at it again on Tuesday against South Africa and snatched another scalp. He looking to get better with the upcoming matches.
“My bowling has been OK. I wish it could have been much more to help the team get over the line. It’s a tough position we are in and very game going forward for us is going to like a final. It’s about outing the past behind but also learning from our mistakes and giving 100 percent on the field.”
Earlier this year, Hosein announced himself on the international stage with some quality bowling performances against Bangladesh on the West Indies white-ball tour in January. He took 3-26 of his 10 overs in his first One-Day International and later followed up with other impressive performances on home soil.
He took 3-33 against Sri Lanka in Antigua and 3-30 against Australia in Barbados. He was named as a traveling reserve for the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 and was drafted into the 15-member squad as a replacement. Hosein is also a capable left-handed batsman with a highest first-class score of 102 not out.
West Indies will have their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup match against Bangladesh on Friday at the Sharjah Stadium. First ball is 2pm (6am Eastern Caribbean/5am Jamaica). Fans in the region can view the LIVE ball-by-ball coverage on ESPN Caribbean.
