By Ben McLeod (CNW)-Jayden Seales, the 23-year-old fast-bowling sensation from Trinidad, has drawn a firm line in the sand: no sum of money, not even the glittering riches of the Indian Premier League (IPL), will ever pull him away from Test cricket.
Fresh off being named Man of the Series in the One-Day International (ODI) clash against Pakistan, Seales underscored his devotion to the longest format during an interview on iSports, hosted by Andre Errol Baptiste on i95.5 FM. His message was unflinching.
“I don’t think anything could get me away from Test cricket, nothing whatsoever,” Seales declared. “It would have to be a doctor saying, ‘Look, you can’t play Test cricket no more because your body can’t handle it.’ But there’s no way I would give up Test cricket to play any prime-time cricket.”
West Indies duties come first
While Seales acknowledged the global appeal of T20 leagues, including the IPL, he insisted that representing the West Indies will always remain his top priority.
“I’ll have a conversation with the authorities on whether they would allow me to go and play [in the IPL] because during the IPL, there’s no international cricket being played at that time. But I don’t think I’ll pull out of West Indies duties to go and play in any leagues, especially Test cricket. Test cricket is my main focus.”
Leading the new pace era
Seales has quickly emerged as a cornerstone of the West Indies attack, forging a formidable pace partnership with Alzarri Joseph and Shamar Joseph. Together, the trio has earned recognition as one of the fiercest young fast-bowling units in the world.
“We work well together. We all understand our roles, our skills, and when to attack or defend. We have a close relationship, so it’s very easy to go to work together.”
His ambition is clear: climb the ICC rankings and propel West Indies cricket back to global prominence.
“I want to be number one in the world, and I want to help West Indies get back to where we want to be, or at least put my best effort out every single time I step onto the field in my whites and my baggy maroon cap.”
Lessons from the legends
Citing the guidance of former West Indies captain and global T20 star Dwayne Bravo, Seales stressed the irreplaceable value of first-class cricket.
“Dwayne Bravo told us young players a couple of years ago, you need first-class cricket as a foundation. Everybody sees Bravo as an IPL star, but I watched him excel in Test cricket first. That gave him the foundation to dominate in ODIs and T20s.”
Seales urged the next generation to prioritize fundamentals—“batsmanship, understanding pressure, and sequencing overs as a bowler”—before chasing the allure of franchise cricket.
A belief in revival
Despite recent hardships for the West Indies, Seales is confident that resurgence is on the horizon. His faith in the current squad is unshakable.
“It’s only a matter of time,” he said, backing the team’s potential to reclaim its storied place among cricket’s elite.
