 Yes, switching to cricket now. Regional tournaments have long provided an opportunity for young players to make their mark and pop into the view of West Indies selectors. The likes of Alec Atheneys and Kurt McKenzie are two of the most recent test debitons who have impressed at the regional level and with the cricket West Indies Seaching United Super 50 well underway. A few starlets have continued their emergence in the regional game. One such cricketer who we'll be looking to make his mark is Kofi James, an old founder from Antigua and Barbuda Who has had a promising 2023 representing the Leeward Islands Hurricanes in first-class cricket and the St. Kitsa Nevis Patriots in this year's CPL. Kofi James joins us on the Sportsmax Zone via Zoom. Kofi, how are you? Good afternoon Hello Can you hear me Kofi? Yeah, it was the car is ticking up a bit just now all right That's fine. Not a problem Before we get into all the current cricket stuff and so on just give us an idea of The background of a Kofi James. I mean, when did you start this cricket thing? How did you fall in love with this cricket thing when where how I? Mean, I think it's probably my DNA. You know, my dad was a cricketer My brother's we pray cricket since a very young age I started playing softball during primary school You know, I was one of the better players. I pursued it You know to the hardball level and I know the lovers always there You know, I guess you know when you when you like something and you keep doing it And you see your future with it, you know, you just have to keep working out and that's what I did I keep working hard. I got some success. So I'm here now When you say that you you played softball, are you talking about tennis ball cricket? Yeah, tennis ball cricket and the rubber you have the rubbery ball to you have the rubber one and the tennis ball Is that the one that you have to make? No, the kitty cricket, you know the kitty cricket balls the red ones that swing the lap I know those where I'm from There were some balls that we would have to make and it would include Heat in some cases fire and plastic and the whole lot of other things But that's a completely different story Can you pinpoint a period or a match an occasion where you said to yourself? Yeah, maybe I have the potential to go all the way in this sport of cricket. I mean, um, I've always Saw myself as a professional cricketer to be honest. That's what that's my that was my passion So I really can't remember when But you know, it is since I started to play that's all I wanted to do was play cricket So I really can't recall Okay, well, that's fine. All you know is you have a lot for the game and that's what matters Well, you played in the recently concluded CPL for the St. Kitsa Nevis Patriots. How was that experience for you? I Mean he said it was a wild crazy funds Experience, I know we see it on TV all the time and see the vibe But actually being a part of CPL You know, it's it's totally different. You have to be in it to feel how I'm feeling You know to see the crowd to see people represent like coming out to show their support to you You know, even though I didn't play a lot of games. I still felt the support so vastly, you know I just feel loved so Yeah, it was a great experience and you know, I'm looking forward for another experience like that Yeah, looking forward to see you of course representing for whichever CPL franchise You're selected to play for now. Talk to me about the leewards. Y'all are flying very very high Yeah, you know, we're doing well We're doing very well and I think we have a very good team strong our own team and Look out for more greater performances. Yeah, Kofi. Can you you're listed as an all-rounder? Do you consider yourself a batting all-rounder or a bowling all-rounder or just straight genuine all-rounder? I Would consider myself a genuine all-rounder Yeah, genuine all-rounder Your personal preference though do I gather that you enjoy batting because I remember seeing a report in The cool and smooth T20 tournament in Antigua back in I think it was April where you had a 64 ball 124 playing for your club Liberty Black Hawk So it just seemed as if you were enjoying yourself with a bat. So looking on it appears to me that you love batting I mean, I love cricket. I love cricket, but you know at most most of my We've lost him there Yeah, I think his audio is his audio just went that's all we can get Yeah, continue. I think we're hearing you in our coffee. Yeah, so yeah, most of most of my my my cricket life I've always been an all-rounder. I started off as Open batsman that ball and then my bowling got better than my batting So I bowled and then my batting was better for a bit and you know, it's just a bit of back-and-forth one time You know your bowling and batting well, so it's always a mixture, you know So I would consider myself as a genuine all-rounder. I love both Yeah, can you talk to us quickly Kopi about the domestic game in Antigua and Barbuda because a lot of the problems in West Indies cricket at the moment is is Seen as the domestic games not being as strong as they need to be I just referenced your local club Liberty Blackhawks who are a top team in Antigua's domestic cricket. How satisfied are you with the quality of the domestic game in Antigua and Barbuda and talk to us quickly about your club Liberty I Think that it can be better, you know growing up. It was very Exciting like the quality was there each team had like four fast bowlers proper spinners batting from one to probably eight You know growing up you always saw the quality and the numbers the quantity was far greater You had a lot more people actually playing cricket now. I find that the quantity has dropped the quality has dropped and You know, we just need to find ways to get the love back to the game from the development stage You know get get some on the 30s on and 9s whatever the case may be So you get the love back so we can have more more youngsters playing the game of cricket Because that's the base that's the grass roots that will feed into the development of West Indies cricket Can you talk briefly about your your your celebrations because You you seem to get very very excited when you you get you get a wicked bowling I mean I have Quite a few celebrations, but this one I Didn't give it a name, but you know people call it a slingshot It was actually a celebration that one of my teammates Me and card in Philip used to do a lot back home in in Antigua. It was actually it's actually a train sir But you know people say it's a slingshot. So I'm just going with the flow But I like the celebration You know, I haven't done it for the tournament yet because you know, you might see something new this time Well, we were watching we were watching Kofi you have some pretty good stats in red ball cricket as well having played some first-class cricket and Your white ball stats are pretty solid as well Do you have a preference at this moment as a 25 year old that is blossoming in the game? I Really, I don't have a preference. I love all farmers of the game. And you know, I think I've done around also It's good to love all farmers because either one can be useful in either format. So I like all far much You had a hundred against the windwards back in April or or or or March I think it was against the windwards against a pretty decent bowling attack that included Preston McSween and Sherman Lewis Any recollections about that innings and how good it felt for you? I mean, it felt it felt really good. I watched the innings like a hundred times by now just you know Relieved the moment see well, you know this really the good days You know, so whenever I feel like I need to watch over video I know we go back to that video. It was a good feeling. I I think I batted well I played decent shots. I felt really comfortable. So going back to that video and I can always Relieve the moment and you know add something that from that video into my game that I'm missing currently Yeah, your local club Liberta Blackhawks. That's the club that Kenny Benjamin is is is heading up, isn't it? Yeah, how much influence and Racky Cornwall plays for Liberta as well Yep. Yeah, I'm home how much influence would a Kenny Benjamin have because I know it's a Sports club because they do play in the Antigua Premier League football competition as well And is Kenny Benjamin the president of the club overall? Obviously because of his cricket background, he would take a lot of interest in the cricket But how do you feel about the club? You know as a as a sporting giant in Antigua and Barbuda? Definitely the best club in the world hands down In the world, you know That that's not even a question you can check this that's you can check this as laser on and you will see why I say so I know it There he has a big influence on the sports club as a president not only on cricket, but also football and The influence of rock him caramel as you mentioned is very vital for Liberta Blackhawks You know teaching giving knowledge and not just rock him car. No. I'll hate and watch junior You know carry mogul these guys for international cricket So I will encounter played first-class level so a lot of international Cricketers reading a cricket there's a lot of brains to pick at Liberta Blackhawks So, you know, you'll find the youngsters Of people they can rely on to help them not just in the physical aspect of the game, but in mental Yeah, and what are your targets in in the game because you seem to be ambitious and you have shown Quality enough that as a 25-year-old you could develop into a more successful player than you are at the moment your targets Definitely, I would like to put the highest level representing West Indies. I would like to go to IPL Definitely the IPL probably big bash and different leagues around the world You know, I just want to enjoy cricket have a decent career make a living out of it and this This have fun, you know, that's what I like to do. That's why I love that's my passion That's my life and if I can do what I do and make money from what I love can't ask for any better Yeah, and finally Kofi we have discussed for years now the decline of West Indies cricket and If if we look at the history of West Indies cricket when when the Leeward Islands were strong West Indies cricket was was pretty strong with Richard's Richard Richardson currently Ambrose and the Roberts and and and and those players as a Leeward Islands player that that isn't considered the Leeward Islands as Consistently a top team, but you have had periods where they have been they have been strong the Leeward Islands and of course Antigone Barbuda Propels a lot of the Leeward Islands success How do you feel about the Leeward Islands place in West Indies cricket and what your your group of islands has to offer for West Indies cricket. I mean, I think every every Nation every country has a part to play in the uplifting of the cricket in the Caribbean Leeward Island in specific. I mean, as you say As long as you do good from the different message come right up, you know You will add to West Indies cricket and I feel Leeward Island Cricket has a lot to add. We have a lot of talent. We have a lot of talented fastballers batsman spinners So we have a lot that we can add to West Indies cricket. So just it depends on us You know, you just talk to us to do what we have to do put in an essay work, you know, depends You know, so we can have that representation at the highest level so we can help West Indies cricket propel Further than we are at the moment. Okay. Kofi. Well said great talking to you here on the Sportsmax zone We look forward to having some more conversations with you and we're wishing the Leeward's hurricanes all the best in the Super 50 You've had a good start and we wish you and your team all the best and tell the rest of your teammates hi from the Sportsmax zone Definitely. Thanks for having me. Yeah, man. Okay. All right. Kofi James Moran and Ricardo Go chat there with the young man. Yeah, and you know, I love chatty people. He seems very level-headed He does what he's about Despite being young and I'm happy to see him do well Yeah, the first thing that struck me about him is clearly his love for cricket And he kept speaking to that throughout the course of the interview You're asking him whether he prefers to bat or ball You're asking him whether he prefers test cricket or a limited overs cricket And the answer was always I love cricket and that is something I think we don't hear From a lot of our cricketers Across the region I love the game and it is very clear very obvious to me that that young man Loves the sport of cricket and because of that, especially because of that I really want to wish him all the best and hope That he goes really far. Yeah, you know what? I I I like What I saw from him just on the reports that I read about him because I saw and read things about his performances before I actually saw him play and Every time you read a report from him. I think what you just said ricardo came out You just saw where the reports based on his innings and his bowling performances You just got the feeling that this is a player that loves cricket This wants to play and he enjoys his game Usually when he bats he bats that run a ball pace or faster than run a ball pace So he loves to hit the ball and score quickly So a good sign there for coping james really great having the 25 year old on the sportsmax zone today And we wish him all the best with the leeward's hurricanes in the super 50 We have more coming up on the sportsmax zone after the break Stay with sportsmax on youtube and follow us on all social pages for updates news and entertainment