News

“It felt incredible to receive the call”

Interview with Tom Mayes

Back

The Waringstown allrounder speaking about his journey, those who’ve helped him along the way and what it was like receiving a call-up to the Ireland senior Men’s squad.

South African-born Tom Mayes, 24, arrived in Northern Ireland in April 2021, with an Irish passport courtesy of his paternal grandmother who was born in Dublin. He was called into the Northern Knights squad later that year. While he has been called up into the Ireland Men’s squad previously, this time it has been off the back of a strong Ireland Wolves tour to the UAE last month, during which Mayes believes has prepared him better for a potential debut.

Tom Mayes, on what it was like getting the call:

“It felt incredible to receive the call from Andrew White [National Men’s Selector]. I was at home resting on the couch after a club T20 match when he rang – it was the type of call that every aspiring international cricketer dreams of getting. If I’m fortunate enough to make my debut, it would not only be my proudest moment in life so far, but also a very proud moment for my family and friends, as well as all those coaches and teammates of the past who have all played an unbelievably important role in getting me to this position.”

About the journey Mayes has taken to this point:

“The Ireland Wolves set-up is a great place to start to understand what is needed for the step up to international cricket, and ultimately where you need to get to in order to play at the top level. That recent tour gave me a great deal of confidence to know that I can hold my own at that level. Throughout the series, I learned a lot about my own game, in terms of what I’m capable of – but, more importantly, I learned a lot more of what areas that I need to work on and where I need to be to really progress, and hopefully be successful, should I play at the top level.

Those who have helped him on the way:

“I’ve worked with so many great coaches over the years, too many to name just now, but each one of them has played a big role in getting me to where I am today. I’ll always be forever grateful to the time and effort they put into my game. Growing up, though, my old man played a massive role in getting me into cricket. We would be out in the back garden any chance I could get, playing and learning and enjoying the game. I’ve loved cricket from a very young age.”

FIXTURES

Ireland Men v West Indies Men ODI series