Marooners’ Jagessar seeks Red Force, Windies call-up

COLIN BENJAMIN

OFF-SPINNER Jon-Rus Jagessar has set his sights on a TT Red Force recall and West Indies call-up after playing his part in the famous Caribbean Super 50 2018 win by the Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC) Marooners over Guyana Jaguars, on Sunday, at the Kensington Oval, Barbados.

This was the second Super 50 title for Jagessar following the starring role he played with the ball to help the Red Force to the title in 2016, where his style of bowling drew immediate comparison to Sunil Narine.

He was also one of four regular starting XI players from Trinidad and Tobago in the CCC side alongside brothers Yannick Ottley (joint leading wicket-taker of tournament, with 17 wickets at 12.17 with his left-arm spin) and Kjorn Ottley (left-handed opener), as well as wicket-keeper batsman Amir Jangoo.

“It was a good experience (winning the 2016 Super50) with Red Force.

That was three years ago so great to win the tournament again,” said Jagessar.

“I haven’t played much in the last two years because the likes of Imran Khan and Khary Pierre are quality spinners. So I decided to try out and potentially play for CCC and everything has worked out well ever since.”

The 32-year-old Jaggesar took 10 wickets from nine matches at an average of 20.80, with a miserly economy rate of 3.22.

Newsday spoke with Samuel Badree, who was in Barbados as a commentator during Super50.

Badree said he saw catches dropped off Jaggesar’s bowling in all four of the CCC games he was present for.

“I thought I was unlucky in wickets column as well, because 10 dropped catches occurred off my bowling and had those been taken, I’d be up there with the wickets,” said Jagessar.

He continued: “But I’m glad I was able to do a job for the team and be very economical and be part of a bowling group that bowled in partnership throughout competition.”

Jagessar made special mention of West Indies territorial development officer Kumar Rampat, who has a cricket coaching academy in Couva, for the assistance he give him before the Super50.

“I did a lot of training by Kumar Rampat, where he aided me in working on my variations.

What I used to do is go to Rampat’s clinic at 10 pm to one o’clock in morning when nobody would be there to work on my bowling. So, I thank him for taking the time assist me in that area before the Super50 tournament.”

Alongside Jamaica Scorpions losing to the United States, CCC’s semi-final win over TT Red Force was the shock of the tournament, and Jagessar was asked about his feelings on beating his countrymen in such a high-profile game.

“(The team) was pretty confident we were going to do well (in competition), even though we were outsiders and accepted the journey was going to be tough under Carlos Brathwaite’s leadership.

“(We) felt the team had a group of very talented players who have the ability to be playing for their various Caribbean teams.

“The last time me and (the) Ottley brothers played together also was when we won for Red Force also in 2016, so to deny them in that game was a unique feeling.”

Jagessar concluded by reflecting on the last three years where he hasn’t been a regular for the Red Force, the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), his working relationship with Sunil Narine and what he hopes his efforts for CCC can do for his career.

“I played four games for Jamaica Tallawahs in CPL 2016. Then it became understandably hard for me to break into XI, because of great spin talent (the) team had in Imad Wasim (Pakistan), Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh) and Garey Mathurin and not much in 2017 and this year.

“The main goal overall is definitely to wear the maroon. I’ve played Windies A before in Sri Lanka (2016) and that was a great experience.

“With the Red Force, since I’m not contracted by them for this season, they will give those that are first preference. But given that the national team unfortunately hasn’t done well in Four-Day cricket in recent seasons... if given opportunity at any point, I’ll put my best foot forward like I always do.”

“I observe Sunil’s bowling a lot. I’ve trained with him before whenever he is back home and watching and learning from the lengths and lines he bowls is one of the ways I’ve tried to improve my game.

“He is a world class bowler and just like him I’ve tried to incorporate a knuckle ball, a straighter ball while bowling a stock off-break.”