Published on: Jul 29, 2023 12:13 am IST|Updated on: Jul 29, 2023 4:49 pm IST
Keemo Paul is a proficient cricketer hailing from the West Indies. He has a right-handed batting style and excels in right-arm fast-medium bowling. This Guyanese sportsman is renowned for his whippy bowling action and remarkable ability to utilize the long lever effectively to make an impact on the game.
In 2016, at the young age of 17, Keemo made his List A debut concurrently with his selection for the U19 squad in the World Cup, garnering global attention due to some standout moments in the tournament. The following year, he earned his First-Class debut for Guyana in the prestigious Four-Day Regional Cup, the premier domestic competition in the Caribbean islands. In October 2017, he achieved his maiden century in first-class cricket, batting for Guyana against Jamaica in the 2017–18 Regional Four Day Competition.
Hailing from Guyana, Keemo is a talented all-rounder who actively participates in both the First Class and List A domestic competitions in the Caribbean. He gained fame for a controversial “mankading” incident against a Zimbabwe batsman, which secured a crucial victory and a spot in the Quarter Finals. Subsequently, he made headlines once again when he played a pivotal role in West Indies’ triumph against India in the Final a few days later.
His One-Day International (ODI) debut came during the ICC World Cup Qualifiers for the mega event in 2019. On 15 March 2018, Keemo played against Afghanistan at the Harare Sports Club in Harare. Despite receiving some boos from the crowd for his previous mankading incident against the home team, he displayed his all-round capabilities, scoring an unbeaten 16 runs and taking 2/29 in his 8.4 overs. However, West Indies fell short as Afghanistan chased down the target with 3 wickets in hand and 14 balls to spare. Keemo has since played 16 ODIs, amassing 20 wickets and scoring 161 runs.
Keemo’s impressive performances in domestic tournaments and the Caribbean Premier League earned him a spot in the national team. However, his T20 International (T20I) debut was a mixed bag as West Indies struggled against Pakistan at the National Stadium in Karachi on 1 April 2018. Despite the team’s poor performance, Keemo stood out, conceding only 26 runs in his 4 overs and remaining not out on 10 during the visitors’ batting collapse, which resulted in their lowest T20I score.
Making his Test debut against Bangladesh on 12 July 2018 at Sabina Park in Kingston, Jamaica, Keemo contributed with both bat and ball. Though he faced a five-ball duck in his debut Test innings, he made an impact in the bowling department, taking 2/25 as Bangladesh could only manage 149 runs in their first innings. With a target of 335 to chase, the visitors faltered and were bowled out for 168, handing the victory to the home side by a margin of 166 runs.
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