West Indies batsman Ramnaresh Sarwan is one of the brightest young stars in international cricket.
He starred in the Windies’ recent one-day series against Bangladesh, hitting an unbeaten 102 to clinch the second match in Dhaka.
And the 22-year-old has been tipped to shine in the fast-approaching World Cup.
Ramnaresh took time out of his busy schedule to answer some of your e-mails
Having scored in excess of fifty in many innings were you ever doubtful that you would not score a century?
Grace Waithe, England
Ramnaresh Sarwan: I never had that doubt in my mind at any point in time. Having scored so many half centuries I never really worried about scoring a century - I always felt fairly confident in my ability.
There was a time earlier in your career when you were branded just as a Test cricketer. How does it feel now that you are doing so well in ODI’s, and did you ever doubt that you could be a successful one-day batsman?
Chris Lyne, England
RS: I have improved my batting in both forms of the game. I am particularly happy with my form at Test level as it is the highest standard you can play at.
I am also fairly happy with the way I am currently playing in one-day cricket. I have improved tremendously and hopefully I can continue to build on that.
Which batsmen did you emulate in your early teens?
Ken Santlal, USA
RS: When I was about 14 or 15 I used to watch Carl Hooper a lot on the TV. The other players that caught my attention at that time were the likes of Mark Waugh, Steve Waugh, Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara.
But the person that has had the most impact on me is Carl as he was the first person that saw me as a 14-year-old player and told me that one day I would be playing for the Windies. After he said that to me I started to look at the game completely differently.
Who’s the toughest bowler you’ve faced while playing cricket?
Robert Carryl, Guyana
RS: Well I’ve faced quite a few in my time, the likes of Brett Lee from Australia and Darren Gough and Andy Caddick from England but the toughest to date has to be Sri Lanka’s Muralitharan.
When I played against him in Sri Lanka he was turning the ball a fair bit and he had another one that I couldn’t even touch - I would have to say he is the best bowler I have faced.
Some of us in the West Indies believe, the members of this team has found a comfort zone and are not willing to work hard enough to make the West Indies the top team in the world. What would you say to that?
Latarie, Barbados
RS: I don’t think we are in a comfort zone, I just think it is a stage we are going through with our cricket just like every other team does. We are still trying to improve and we have been improving especially in the one-day game.
It’s pretty hard for me to say that we are in a comfort zone as I have been with the team for three years now and over that time I have seen everyone improve in that short time.
The West Indies of the past have been a daunting team to face for any team before. The Australians have now taken over that mantelpiece, do you ever think that the West Indies can take back the title of being the best and undisputed Test nation in the world and who do you think can help you achieve that goal?
Kurt Stryker, England
RS: I am sure we can get back to the top but I think it will take some time. Like I said we have been playing pretty well and I think that is a good sign but unfortunately I think it will probably take another three or four years.
The Australians have adopted the way we used to play in the 80’s. If we want to get back to where we were I think we now need to adopt the Australian style of play and a lot will depend on the youth coming through.
Currently, the top six batting line-up of the West Indies team has four very young players in it. Do you see this as an advantage or would it be better if you were surrounded by more mature players?
Luc, Belgium
RS: Actually it’s a bit of both! I think having young players batting form one to six without any senior players there gives us all an opportunity to mature and learn more about the game.
Saying that, it is also an advantage when you have an experienced player there to inspire us all to do well.
When you arrive at the crease what’s the first thing that goes through your mind?
Kevin Wyllie, USA
RS: The first thing that goes through my mind is to try and keep my eye on the ball and to keep my line. We normally have a team meeting before the start of the game but fortunately I bat in the middle of the order and that gives me more time to access my tactics.
You have an Indian name. Were your original roots in India? If so how do you feel when you play India?
Sunshine, UK
RS: This is a question I get asked quite a lot, especially when we toured India. I have been trying to find out some information about my family roots in India but I haven’t managed to get any information to date. It would be great if any of your viewers have any details?
As for how I feel about playing against India, I have to admit that it doesn’t feel any different to when I play against the other Test sides such as Australia, England, etc. I was born and grew up in the West Indies and that is my culture, so playing against India takes the same precedence as other games.
At a time when cricket seems to be more of a mind-game than a physical exertion, do you think that the West Indian team has the mental toughness to win against their more powerful opponents in the upcoming World Cup?
Mohammad F. Ali, US
RS: I think we have improved on both elements of the game - mentally and physically. The only thing I think we need to focus on a bit more would be our mental preparation.
Regardless of whether we are playing against a good team or an outstanding team I think we can match them, we have been making good progress and I think we can build on this.
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