By Akeem Greene
Tevin Adrian Imlach, 24, is one of three fresh faces in the Guyana Jaguars squad for next month’s Regional Super50 in Antigua.
The soft-spoken wicketkeeper/batsman said his will and ability to succeed comes from the high emphasis he places on personal fitness, and he is a prime example of how extra work can pay off in the long term.
The Demerara Cricket Club (DCC) player only donned national colours in his last year at the Under-19 level and the success story that ensued is well documented.
Life has come full circle for him since he stumped the dangerous Rishabh Pant off the bowling Alzarri Joseph then took a superb rising catch to dismiss Anmolpreet Singh, which set up the West Indies successful ICC Under-19 World Cup final against India in 2016.
While four of his Under-19 teammates have gone on to play both Tests and One-Day Internationals for West Indies, Imlach is still finding his feet at the regional level.
He has played just two First-Class matches with little success and five List A matches for the West Indies B team in the 2018 Super50.
He found success there and produced a crucial 57* and took three catches, which helped the B team defeat Windward Islands Volcanoes.
The self-belief that he can succeed at the highest comes from the fact that his fitness level is above par than most.
“Ever since the pandemic started, we have been doing a lot of work with our physio [Neil Barry Jr.] on Zoom calls, just different stuff to keep us ready. When we came out, we did some cardio and we were well prepared,” he told News Room Sport.
It is understood Imlach was one of the top performers for the Guyana Jaguars at the recent Yo-Yo test, continuing a trend that he has developed over the years.
“It is pretty simple; try to avoid oily foods, drink a lot of water and you need to train and do a lot of fitness work. Once you feel confident about yourself it is mind after that and having that belief that [physically] you are good enough to achieve whatever you want.”
He added, “For me if I am running the Yo-Yo test, I set myself a target in my head already and my plan is not to come out until I get it. Fitness helps you to concentrate or train longer and train more efficiently and that’s the importance of fitness and we all need it as cricketers in order to push our game forward and lengthen our careers.”
Imlach said he is open to any role the team needs; his List A success came in the middle order, but judging from the combination of the Guyana Jaguars squad, unless he starts ahead of first-choice keeper Anthony Bramble, he might be asked to offer a potential role as an opener.
For many batsmen in the Caribbean, strike rotation has been an issue, and the man his teammates call ‘Padlock’ for his usually solid defense, says he has been working on being more innovative to put pressure back on the bowlers.
“Being a bit more innovative and understanding what the bowlers want to do and you work against it and put pressure on them.”
“I have been doing a lot of work in the nets over the past two months, working on dropping the ball short, getting inside the line, and turn the ball [off the hips] and stuff like that. I have been doing some work and I think I have improved.”
Imlach is the second of his parents’ three children and said he simply wants to make the most of this opportunity.
He is particularly keen on making his father Louis Imlach proud; the elder Imlach hardly ever misses a game his son is involved in.
