We stay in the ECCL (East Coast and Central League) and talk to a youngster who recently came through the junior ranks, and due to his own desire, commitment, motivation and drive, made it all the way to being selected to play for the national team.
Thank you to Jack Perman the Sporting Alfas CC for agreeing to take part in this interview conducted by the Junior Director of Cricket Harmit Phull (Rico)
Lets begin….
Rico : How old are you?
Jack : I am 18 years old.
Rico : At what age did you start playing cricket, and where?
Jack : At the age of 8 years old, I started playing cricket for my club, Sporting Alfas CC.
Rico : What is your first memory of cricket?
Jack : My first memory of cricket is just messing about playing quick cricket with a soft ball, I was 7 at that time.
Rico : Under normal circumstances, where and when do you practice playing cricket?
Jack : I would normally try and net 3-4 times a week with either my dad or with Faran Afzal senior member of the national team.
Rico : Do you see yourself as a batter or bowler?
Jack : I believe I’m a genuine allrounder and can adapt to the role that my captain requires me to perform for the team.
Rico : What, where and when do you think was your best performance to date?
Jack : I consider one of my best performances has been hitting 100* and taking couple of wickets for the Spanish U17 side playing against Barkshire County CC .
Rico : Why do you like to play cricket?
Jack : I like the challenge of being able to improve on my last performance.
Rico : What is the best thing about cricket in Spain?
Jack : I believe that it brings great friendship with people of different ages and cultures.
Rico : What if anything is the most disappointing thing about cricket in Spain?
Jack : Its lack of popularity.
Rico : What’s your most memorable cricket experience in Spain?
Jack : Scoring 500 runs in a week of cricket, played midweek at Alfas against Merchant Taylors and then at the weekend in a La Manga Classic tournament.
Rico : As a player, where would you like to see yourself in 15 years time?
Jack : Helping those young talents coming into the national squad and being the national team captain.
Rico : Who is your favourite player and why?
Jack : Kevin Pieterson, passion about the game on and off the field, way ahead of his time.
Rico : If you could have dinner tonight with any famous person in the world, who would it be and why?
Jack . Kevin Pieterson , massive inspiration.
Rico : What effect has Covid19 had on your young lives, for better and worse?
Jack : As a better it has allowed me to spend time with the family. As a worse, I have not been able to go to nets and it has cancelled many events for Cricket España.
Rico : If you had a message to all people your age during these difficult times, what would it be?
Jack : Just think about the bigger picture.
Rico : With your father Mark, and brother Kieren also being cricketers, how do you think being part of a cricket family has helped in your development and success?
Jack : Well my father was never a cricketer, he was an international decathlete. Having my brother produced some good competitiveness.
Rico : When you first started playing cricket did you ever dream that you would play for Spain?
Jack : I always considered it a matter of time after having represented Spain since the U13.
Rico : When you thought it could be a reality, what was your key motivator to keep training and improving as a player in your skills and technique so you could get into the national team set up?
Jack : My motivation has never been to get in the national team but to be the best there is in Spain and accomplish great results for the nation.
Rico : What was your first game representing Spain, and what were the key highlights?
Jack : The main highlight was during a match against Gibraltar, I bowled at a very economical rate and better still, took my first international wicket. In the same game I also took a diving catch to my right at backward point off the bowling of Yasir Ali.
Rico : What was it like to be in the dressing room with the other players and coaches before the start of your first game, How did you feel?
Jack : It felt quite comfortable, probably because I knew everyone, I had played with and against every single player in the dressing room on many occasions.
Rico : What for you, has been your most memorable performance for Spain?
Jack : My international debut against Gibraltar will always be the most memorable, being given that chance to represent my native nation was a great honour
Rico : When going from playing first club cricket in Spain, to playing for the national team, as you did recently before the lock down against a very good German side at Desert Springs: What is the major difference you notice between cricket played at club level compared to the game played at international level?
Jack : I consider the level and standard of cricket to be higher, and the major difference between the two is the increase in the desire to win and the intensity that the game is played at
Rico : Has representing Spain changed things for you in any way?
Jack : Not really, as the goal still hasn’t been accomplished yet, so the hard work continues.
Rico : Recently here in Spain, there has been a massive growth in the T10 format of the game, you have adapted well to the format, helping your club “Sporting Alfas” to win the first ECL central regional series, what are your views on the T10 format of the game?
Jack : I’m not a great fan of the format as I consider T20 is a short as the game should go but the sport of cricket is all about adapting to conditions.
Rico : You may have seen in the interview with Manish, a talented junior from Barcelona that his goal is to play for Spain. What message or advice would you give to any youngster with the same ambition?
Jack : My personal advice would be to out-train and out-work everyone around you, And then I will be happy to meet them on their arrival to the national team.
Harmit Phull (Rico)
