 Yeah, the cricket West Indies four-day championship bulls often Wednesday with four matches across two countries in Jamaica The home team Scorpions will open against the Wynwood Islands volcanoes at Sabina Park while combine the campuses and colleges face Barbados pride at Chedwin Park while in St. Kitson Nevis Leowen Islands Hurricanes battle the West Indies Academy at Warner Park and the Guyana Harpy Eagles face Trinidad and Tobaco Red Force at Connery and you can watch the Sports Mag Zone for daily roundup on Matchdays and today we preview the tournament by looking at a number of the young players who are hoping to Cement themselves not just at the regional level But hopefully also at the West Indies level we start today by chatting with two Jamaican Scorpions players Kurt McKenzie back from West Indies test duties in Australia and Aranda Abhijay Man Singh who played his first season of regional four-day cricket last year and Broke into the West Indies a team as well gentlemen It is a pleasure to have you on the Sports Mag Zone. First of all, who are you doing? Kirk let's start with you because you're just coming off Australia your first tour down under First of all, I want you to give us an idea of What that was like and if overall it was everything you expected it to be? Yes, it was everything expected to be it was challenging new conditions, but I enjoyed every bit of it Hmm. What about it? Did you enjoy? I'm just a challenges. I like challenges Been against a number one team in the world. I'm after the book for those expectations. I enjoyed everything Yeah, I want to start from the warm-up games, right? Because you didn't have a great warm-up game But the moment you stepped into the test arena, you seemed a different player What changed between the warm-up match and the test matches? I'm not so really changed. I was just my process Had confidence in my preparations going to the game. I just bought myself. Yeah um and Talk to me about Backing yourself when you look back at the entire experience. How do you grade your own performance in Australia? To be honest, I think I kind of underachieved I got starts in our innings and didn't really carry on. That's something for me to work on What did you put that down to? Probably just concentration in crucial moments. Yeah, how do you fix that? It's a mental thing. I only can fix it myself. No coach can really help with that You just want me to look back and see and in the positions of the game I really made a mistake and try to see how I can better that. Yeah, one of the things with sports quickly that So you speak about focus and concentration When you play at lower levels Sometimes you have That same level of concentration, which is not necessarily at the highest level. Sometimes you can have those dips But you will get away with it at a different level when you get to a higher level now Against the very best in the world. They only need a small moment Do you think it will help or how much do you think it will help? Know that you've had the opportunity to play one of the very best teams in the world that I think Tested you in a way that it may the test may be equal But probably not greater in in this form of the game I want him or a captain spoke about just coming back home Let's keep the same intensity that would have added to this arena and then it won't be much of a big change matter who you're playing. Yeah Abhije Last year first time in the Jamaica Scorpion set up and you're back for a Second season talk to me about how much you are looking forward to this four-day campaign I'm definitely looking forward to it greatly because it's another season to try get to the next level I think that's the aim as well as you know pushing Jamaica's cricket It was a tough year for Jamaica cricket last year and it's good that we have opportunity to play at home now And hopefully do well for the country. Yeah, you say a tough year and no wins for the Scorpions last year This squad looks like a much improved one though It definitely is we've prepared well and we have a lot of younger players in the squad. The energy is high We've been we've been gelling really well and we're glad to have Kirk back So we're looking forward to starting well tomorrow. Yeah, and talk to me about how you see your role in this scorpion set up or How do you fit in from your viewpoint? I think from the batting viewpoint I'll probably be the person to stabilize the innings. I look to bat as long as possible Hopefully get some centuries this year and then from the bowling perspective I look to be more one of the attacking bowlers and try to pick up as many wickets as possible I think that's a job of any risk, you know, so I'm looking forward to carrying out that role Yeah, I would I would think a massive achievement for you breaking into the West Indus A team set up At the back end of last year, how much do you think that experience Has prepared you for this upcoming four-day season? That experience went a long way in preparing me not only for this season But in terms of my outlook on the game and what's needed to succeed at the next level So I think that that tour of South Africa did not only good for for me But a lot of young players on that tour So that was definitely a tour that I enjoyed and learned a lot from Aren't there specific things that you have been working on coming into this campaign? Definitely, I think with the ball I've worked a bit on my consistency and my X factor I think as a risk, you know, you need to have that X factor and especially to do well at the international level You have to have that X factor. So I've been working hard on on what my X factor is Can you tell us what the X factor is? Is it the googly? Is it something else? It's googly and a bit more spin, but hopefully they will all come together The googly, the leg spin, and the other variations to provide them with the X factor Yeah, you start against the Wynald Islands volcanoes at Sabrina Park How much do you know about them and how much are you looking forward to the start of this? Well, we know the Wynalds team very well. I think there's a lot of experienced players on that team that we've played against for years Luckily, we're playing at home now at Sabayna, we know very well It's going to be a lot of our first time playing for our country on home soil So we're just looking forward to doing that We've dreamt of that day as kids growing up to play for Jamaica at Sabayna So to have that opportunity to do it is going to be a special feeling Yeah, how about you Kirk? Yeah, that's been a dream for me from growing up, so I'm just excited just tomorrow You went to school not far away from there though Yeah, right, I'm again separated us You probably were at Sabayna Park every day Yeah, I was Yeah, not surprising So I saw on social media following the Test Store of Australia where you averaged in the 30s there, the best West Indies batsman the second highest run scorer in the two Test Series overall And there were individuals saying, well, where is Kirk McKenzie in the one-day team? Do you want to play a one-day international cricket? Yes, of course, of course I like the way, yeah But I didn't really make any runs in the last two-fifty So I'm not really satisfied that I wasn't selected I just want me to go back and try to make runs next one Yeah, where do you think you are on the developmental journey? Because I suspect it's all a process, you're in the Test Team now Clearly based on how you have the potential to play one-day international cricket as well From what I saw of you as an under-19 player you probably have the potential to play a T20 cricket as well Where do you think you are on that developmental journey in being an old-format player? To be honest, I don't think it's a rush I'm still just 22 years old I think as a batsman, learning Test Cricket and kind of mastering Test Cricket is going to help me in all formats of the game So it's also me to take my time to master that level and then see where I can apply it to that level as well And how comfortable are you in that number three position? I'm still learning it, kind of new to it but I'm kind of enjoying it, I'm enjoying it What do you enjoy about it? I get a little break after feeling as a plus, I get a break As opposed to opening? Yeah As opposed to opening What targets have you set for this four-day campaign? Some hundreds, I need some hundreds I've really scored a lot of runs playing for Jamaica so I think that's something I need to do Just to help the team in games really Yeah And in terms of where we can expect you to bat in this Jamaica team? I don't think the same number three position Yeah So you're cementing that for yourself now? Yeah, yeah, I am Talk to me a little bit about Kurt McKenzie And your cricketing development coming through the system I remember as a young man reading sports news on RJR When there was cool cricket, I would literally read your name every game And you just seemed like such a superstar It seemed as if you made runs every single match in high school cricket In high school, some people could say I was a man What? What would you say? I don't think so Okay I don't think so I just, I could say my skills was just ahead at that point in time So I was really all scoring people my age And then you transitioned into the West Indies on the 19 set up? Yeah Yeah, I had a couple good under 19 tours Didn't really do much to my standard So I would say I was lucky to be in the West Indies on the 19 team Went to South Africa and didn't really have the best But I had one big score, which was good Listening to you speak, right? And correct me if I'm wrong I get the feeling that you think your talent Or your performances have not matched the level of talent you have to this point Yeah, I don't think my performance is as much as yet I'm still working at it But hopefully that would improve Yeah Kendra Mika, win the four-day this year guys 100% For sure For sure We expect nothing less Yeah German Blackwood is the leader of this Corpion team What's he like as a leader? As someone who has been through the system, been there, done that? He preaches about positivity in both batting and bowling He just wants us to really go and play our game He gives us our license, just go and play our game and have fun And what's the Comrade you're like in the set up? I know it hasn't always been Honkidori in the in the German set up What's this unique like? I think we're getting along really well From the head coach right down to the youngest player It's been a good feeling in this set up And I don't think the Jamaica set up has felt this close in years So we have a good feeling about this season Yeah, yeah, it sounds really good Well gents, I wish you all the best for the tournament And I really do hope that you achieve all your goals Abhije, great opening season last year Even though it was a difficult one for Jamaica No, Kirk, you joined the party So we look forward to seeing what you will both do And the Scorpions will do in this tournament So all the very best Thanks, thanks very much All right, Kirk McKenzie, Abhije Man Singh Members of the Jamaica Scorpions side Getting ready for regional four-day cricket Which bowls off on Wednesday Two matches in Jamaica The Scorpions will play the volcanoes at Sabina Park CCC will be in action at Chedwin Park Against Barbados Pride And then there are two matches in St. Kitson Nevis as well So yeah, look forward to that Let's take a break When we return though We will be continuing our chat on regional four-day cricket Lance and Mariah Well, let's just say Lance will have two of his contraband We'll be back