Photo Credit: Cricket West Indies
25-year-old Keacy Carty’s path into the West Indies Senior Men’s team wasn’t exactly a straight, predictable road. But despite the obstacles and setbacks, Keacy’s determination and hard work have now made him the first person from the island of St. Maarten to don the Maroon in West Indies history.
Like a plane taxing down the runway, Keacy’s ascent to the ranks of a professional cricketer took on a slow start. In the season just prior to the historic ICC U19 Men’s World Cup in 2016 in Bangladesh, Keacy was unable to break into the Leeward Islands first class XI. But soon after, it was his part to play in the maiden U19 world title for the Caribbean team that brought Keacy to the forefront of the world cricket stage.
Fresh off the Under 19 team’s success, Keacy received the nod to play for the Leeward Islands starting XI, catapulting his career with a half century in first-class cricket and he hasn’t looked back since.
Hailing from St. Maarten – a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands – means three things for Keacy. First, he speaks Dutch and spoke it fluently while at school. The second is that he is the holder of a Dutch passport and third, he is qualified to play for the Netherlands team, whom the Men In Maroon will face in 3 ODI’s from May 31 to June 4 in Amsterdam. But like every West Indian father, Keacy’s Dad has always loved West Indies cricket so playing for the Netherlands, although a possibility, was never an option for his son.
Receiving a call up to the West Indies squad is a special moment in any cricketer’s career. But for Carty, it was doubly special. This is the first time in history that the West Indies is touring the Netherlands and this is the first team Keacy is set to face.
“When I actually got the call, I didn’t know how to feel”
Carty shared, still numb from the seemingly storybook start to his international career. When asked about his mindset going into the series, he exclaimed,
“I’m just trying to start well, so I’m just trying to be as prepared as possible. I want to have a good start to international cricket.”
From experience, Keacy knows the power of a good start. He is resolute in his ambition to make an impression on the game he has loved since a child. No doubt, he will produce his best in as he now taxis down the runway to soar into his international career.
