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“We will back ourselves”

Interview with Craig Young

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DUBLIN – Craig Young spoke earlier today from the team hotel – reflecting on his return from injury, his new found love of T20 cricket, his Ireland debut, and advice for his younger self.

On his return after injury earlier this year:

“After missing the West Indies series due to injury – a series which was partly played in my home province – it has been a pretty frustrating summer, personally. I’ve been looking forward to getting back out on the park with the lads and it was great to do that yesterday in front of a good home support. There’s nothing better than getting out there and plying your trade against the best.

“The recovery from injury was a long road that wasn’t all that straight forward. I did a Grade 3C on my right hamstring. I worked with both the team at Your Physio in Eglinton and our own Mark Rausa – all were nothing short of brilliant. They really helped push me on and give me confidence in my leg again.”

Young is currently Ireland Men’s second-highest wicket-taker in T20Is and admits he has grown to love the format:

“T20 cricket has possibly grown to be my favourite format. I love Test cricket – when it comes along there is a huge spike in workload to try and get the overs under the belt, but nothing apart from playing can get you used to a day in the field and bowling in spells. I wouldn’t say I particularly enjoyed T20 at the start of my career, but when Gary Wilson became captain he really supported me and gave me a good run – and, in particular, I felt he backed me and gave me confidence in that he wanted me and needed me in the team and I never really looked back after that.

“With T20Is, for me it really comes down to trying to keep it simple and understanding ‘the nature of the beast’. Some days you can bowl well and get no wickets, and vice versa, but it’s just about trying to be consistent and embracing it all.”

About the first match of the current series, he said:

“I don’t think conditions played a massive part – the wicket was on the slower side, but we are familiar with that. There wasn’t much nip or swing for us, but hopefully there’s still a bit in the track for tomorrow to help particularly our seamers. We all know how good England are, but we will back ourselves. Our batters were brilliant yesterday, and hopefully they can come again and we as a bowling back them up and we can get out on the right side of a result.”

About his own performance yesterday:

“I’ll be honest, I didn’t look at the scoreboard when I came on to bowl – I just wanted to get started and into my work. We knew they would come out swinging at everything – and they did, and did it well. We had our plans, and I felt we stuck to them as best we could, but it was a challenge, that’s for sure.”

About his role in the bowling unit:

“I found that after big Boydy retired [Boyd Rankin] that I seemed to take on his overs. I didn’t mind that but it was strange not opening the bowling, but I don’t mind I’d do whatever phase of bowling if it means I get out there and take part. I like the challenge of trying to take wickets through the middle overs and they are key to slowing things down and ensuring they aren’t loading up for the death.

“But under Stirlo’s captaincy you have to be ready to bowl any over at any time – and that in turn keeps all options open to him, and gives him the chance to keep changing things up and the batters guessing.”

It’s been 11 years almost to the day when Young made his Ireland debut at Malahide:

“A debut photo popped up on my Facebook at the start of the week, it’s hard to believe that’s so long ago. I can remember so much about that series. It’s great to still be so involved that long on and shows no matter how much I doubted it then that I was good enough and could forge a long career from cricket.

“On that day itself I remember bowling three overs from the top end and it wasn’t the best of starts. Then Kev [O’Brien] – who was captain at the time – brought me back on at the other end and before I knew it I had three wickets. It felt effortless running in and felt as if I had the ball on a string. Something you can chase as a bowler all the time but it very seldom actually happens, I was just lucky it was my debut when it did.

“I’m probably doing myself a disservice there as I believe if you work hard and make the sacrifices good things come back to you, and I can tell you now I worked hard for that opportunity.

“Looking back now, the only advice I would give to my younger self would be to never doubt yourself and keep working hard. Cricket’s a funny game – so stay level-headed, one day you’ll be top of the world and it could be the very next game and she will pull you straight back down with a bang. But enjoy it, enjoy the lads, enjoy the tours. Gary [Wilson] told me at the very start of it all, when I was plagued with injuries and considered not taking a contract, that you will not find a better job in life than a professional cricketer and as most of the time. He was right.”

FIXTURES

The upcoming matches are:

17 September: Ireland Men v England Men – 1^st T20I (result)
19 September: Ireland Men v England Men – 2^nd T20I (Malahide Cricket Ground; start 1.30pm)
21 September: Ireland Men v England Men – 3^rd T20I (Malahide Cricket Ground; start 1.30pm)

Tickets for Game Two and Game Three are officially sold out.

THE SQUADS

Ireland Men