Keemo Paul has been a bright spot in the West Indies U19 outfit in the ICC U19 World Cup in Bangladesh. The 17-year-old pacer was instrumental in West Indies’ win over Bangladesh in the semi-final and now the young lads from the Caribbean will battle it out against India for the U19 crown. West Indies U19 skipper Shimron Hetmyer said that Paul’s contribution would be vital in the final.
“Keemo Paul is probably one of the smartest bowlers we have here,” Hetmyer said. “He could probably bowl at any time for me – open if possible, in the middle or at the end. He is not really the death bowler for me but I think he handles pressure better than most of the players on this team, if not all. Pressure doesn’t get to him that much. He can play his natural game as you saw in England. He stood out in that pressure game for us. He handles pressure as good as anyone I know,” he said.
Paul admitted before the final that the best way to handle pressure would be to remain confident in all circumstances. “I think it is just knowing the game from an early age, and being around a lot of experienced people. You just gain as much intelligence from them and use it in the game,” he said. “You just have to know how to manage the pressure, just know how to be confident. Learn from it. You have to take in some things. Just stay focused and do what you are doing. In pressure situation, I just clear my mind. It motivates me. I always want to win and do well in the game. Pressure situation motivates me,” he said.