New Zealand’s imposing pacer Kyle Jamieson said he wants to transform into an all-rounder going forward, having started as a specialist batsman during his formative years.
The 25-year-old, who made a dream debut against India in the first Test, played as a batsman in his younger days, and it wasn’t until he met the then New Zealand U19 coach Dayle Hadlee that he was asked to seriously consider focusing on fast bowling as a primary skill.
“I was pretty much a batter all through high school and then made the New Zealand U-19s, and Dayle Hadlee got a hold of me and told me to run in, which kind of shifted me towards becoming more of a bowler,” Jamieson was quoted as saying by the ICC’s official website.
“I always liked batting, it was probably what I grew up admiring the most – whilst I did bowl, I did not think of that as my career option growing up. Now I’m a bowler who can bat, trying to get to the all-rounder stage, that’s where I ideally want to be,” the tall fast bowler said.
Jamieson impressed with his bounce and ability to extract movement in the first innings of the Wellington Test against India, where he picked up four wickets. He also scored 44 off just 45 balls in New Zealand’s reply.
Jamieson, who got the big wickets like India captain Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara, feels there is scope for improvement in his speed , which currently ranges 130-135 kmph.
“Yeah, for sure [looking to add pace]. I’m still a long way off [from] where I want to be as a bowler and as a cricketer. The stuff that I started to work on with Auckland, with Heinrich [Malan], I think in the next year or so, I’m going to make massive strides,” he said.
With Neil Wagner set to return to the mix after missing the first Test due to the birth of his first child, Jamieson is no certainty to play the second match at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval starting on Saturday.
But, if given the chance, Jamieson would love to return to the dressing room where he spent his initial years as a domestic cricketer with Canterbury before making the move to Auckland.
“I spent five or six years down there, pretty familiar with the ground. It’s always going to be special, it played such a big part in the start of my journey, it will be nice to be back in that changeroom,” he said.