FORMER Jamaica and West Indies fast bowler Daren Powell is giving kudos to KD Knight, the blunt Senator and lawyer, for inspiring him in his decision to enter representational politics.

Knight, a former Cabinet minister and Member of Parliament, like Powell, hails from the South East St Elizabeth community of Stanmore, in the Malvern area, and has been a driving force in Powell's life.

"I am inspired by him," Powell said of Knight.

Now Powell, 33, has been chosen as the People's National Party's representative to contest the upcoming local government election in the Malvern division, which is presently held by the Jamaica Labour Party.

Both played cricket at different times as boys growing up in the village, with Powell, after initially making his mark as a spin bowler, graduating to the faster form of bowling and staking a claim as a lower order batsman of merit.

Knight too, started as a fast bowler and went on to represent Wolmer's Boys School when he left St Elizabeth, playing on winning Sunlight Cup teams that included former Jamaica and West Indies batsman Maurice Foster, along with Milton Powell and Mickey West, among others.

Knight opened the bowling for Wolmers' and was said to be full of promise, but teasers often poked fun at him for having a run-up to the wicket that was faster than the actual ball he bowled.

Now, Powell is aiming to work up a faster pace than that generated by Knight, as he prepares to face a different gathering of spectators in the political stadium.

"When the people of the Malvern area first approached me, they said that they liked the way that I carried myself, as it was only politicians and preachers who carried themselves that way, and before the last general election, they asked me why I never represented them," Powell said.

"Questions were being asked by people from both parties, because nobody was sure which side I was on. But when the 'bird season' started last year, I sat down with KD Knight and spoke to him about my ambition to get into representational politics.

"At that time I wanted to run for MP, based on the reaction of the people. However, KD told me that because I am new to the system, it was best for me to learn more about it before I get myself involved. He felt that the easiest way to learn was to become a parish councillor. In the same breath, I didn't know that the PNP in St Elizabeth was reviewing the Malvern Division in terms of its candidate, so when I heard, I applied in writing and here I am today," Powell said.

Since then, Knight has given him the political tonic to press forward.

"I have got a lot of guidance from KD," Powell said.

"I have always admired PJ Patterson as a politician, but KD Knight is someone whom I really look up to. It's not only about politics. I can sit with him or call him up and talk to him about anything... He is that kind of person and I admire that about him. I wish that I could be somebody close to him in life... like people could respect me in the way that I respect him.

"He is from the same area of Stanmore, went to the same school that we all went to. He was a batchmate of my father and uncle at St Alban's All Age. He still has this powerful influence on the community, and come to think of it, people used to think that he was this person who would just come around, shoot birds, enjoy himself and then just leave," said Powell.

He indicated that before the last general election, people got a clearer picture of Knight and had more interaction with him. This, he said, has made him even more of a giant now, not only in the Malvern area, but in the parish.

"He spends time playing dominoes with the people, going to nine nights, and generally interacts with the people. They get to understand him more.

"The Manatt enquiry got people keyed up to him even more. They are keener to listen to him now," Powell said of the Queen's Counsel.

Powell admitted that he was "always a PNP man," but for many years did not make his political leanings public, as he did not want to create divisions in areas that he would have to go, in respect of cricket or otherwise.

"I have always been a straight Comrade, but because of sports I didn't highlight this. I had to balance my life. About two years ago, from I started going back to St Elizabeth regularly, the people started to press me to get myself into politics. It was from then that I have been thinking of coming forward," said the former St Elizabeth Technical High School student.

The move may also have been influenced by Powell's reported benevolence, as he has patched and maintained the road from Stanmore to Malvern with his own money, earned from his many years of playing cricket with the West Indies and from his attachments to clubs in South Africa and England.

Powell has started the process of reinvesting in his parish by running a farm in the Malvern area.

"I am in the process of opening a supermarket in the next four to five days, over by Angel's Plaza (St Catherine). It will be called Lyle Supermarket and Wholesale (Lyle is Powell's middle name). I will use the produce from my farm and I will encourage other farmers from the Malvern area to market their produce through the supermarket, because there are crops like yam, potato, red peas and stuff which I don't grow.

"I have started ordering stuff from the farmers there already. That's another area in which I could help some of the people.

"But first, I want to try and win this election, get into the system and try and open avenues in which areas can be found to expand farming and get produce out. The export market is picking up and that is good," he said.

Originally from a strong PNP family, Powell has already got the full backing of two of the main people in his life -- his father, Oswald, and his mother, Hortense.

"My father was a no-nonsense man when it came to Michael Manley. He loved Michael Manley a great deal, PJ Patterson also. I can remember when I was younger at the first swearing-in of PJ Patterson, all of us as children had to listen to that swearing-in, as our father had us all under the guinep tree and listening the radio the whole evening.

"(Former MP and trade unionist) Derrick Rochester was a good friend of his also. He used to talk a lot and boast about Rochester. He also got on very well with Roger Clarke when he was in the North East St Elizabeth constituency.

"As for my mother, every stride that I have made in my career, my mother would always listen and wish me all the best. After I was selected to contest the parish council seat, I got a high-five from her and I felt really good. She is a Christian and being supportive of that and showing that great deal of happiness for me to make that step forward, was even better," Powell said.

He still entertains thoughts of serving in a higher office one day, but for now he wants to, as best as possible, get to know as much about the process of local government and ultimately tilt the balance of power in the parish council the PNP's way. The JLP currently holds eight seats in the council to the PNP's seven.

"I still have the ambition to become an MP, but it's not something that I will run down. If the parish council is the place that I am best served, I will serve. It will be left to the people of the division, and the leaders of the party, and if they see me fit to fill that or any other capacity, I will do so.

"At the moment I am pretty upbeat about the situation. I am getting a lot of support and people are very pleased. This is the most positive feeling that I have ever received since the 2007 World Cup when I was bowling well for the West Indies. Everywhere I turn, people have been offering me best wishes ever since I announced that I wanted to run.

"From I applied I have been working on putting together a group of people, some of whom worked in the division with (MP) Richie Parchment, who, himself, has given me full support. I am in the process now of making arrangements of launching the campaign on Sunday evening," added Powell, oozing with confidence, He has a lot of plans for his division.

"It would be a nice stepping stone to bring back sporting activities throughout the division. Farming too, is something that I love. I am also a farmer and I want to help more of these guys to get involved in agriculture and produce more for our country. We have lots of land there. Roads will be of key importance to get things from the farm and there are some areas that do not have electricity.

However, education is key right now, he said.

"I would love to see Bethlehem Teachers' College (at Malvern) become a university. Hampton and Munro College could take in students from overseas, which will also bring in revenue that may also open areas for tourism.

"The Munro and Malvern areas have primary schools, high schools and colleges, but there isn't a basic school, and that is another big step that I think I could concentrate on," Powell said.

As for his most recent role as president of the St Elizabeth Cricket Association, which he took on in early February, Powell believes that he can remain the parish's head honcho for the sport, even while he considers a long and lasting run in elective politics. Being the president of an institution that is trying to rebuild cricket is going to be a mammoth task, but Powell said he has competent staff who will work alongside him.

"It's a lot of work and the whole thing about it is that my life is about living on the edge. That will test my mettle. What I want to happen for the parish will drive me some more to want to work and keep close to whatever I am doing.

"People may be thinking that my entering politics will bring about a division in the parish's cricket, but it will not be so. This is a medium which we could use to bond that bridge between the two parties. I am not looking at anyone in the cricket because he is a PNP or JLP. I want to bring unity into it. If everyone could vote PNP it would be better for me and better for the PNP, but that will never happen. So in the meantime, I will have to set an example that I am here to deal with cricket, and politics is a different thing.

"I was pretty happy for the support that I got when I was going up for the presidency of the St Elizabeth Cricket Board. All I am asking for now is that the people who were on the outside looking in, not to be afraid. They can come, join, and be a part of the association," said Powell.

He also disclosed his fondness for PNP president and Prime Minister Portia Simpson Miller, who he first met while playing cricket for Jamaica.

"The priority now is getting involved in politics, which means hard work. I just want to assure the people that I am not there for promises. I am there to serve them," said Powell.

As a cricketer, Powell played 37 Test matches (85 wickets), 55 one-day internationals, and five Twenty/20 matches for the West Indies between 2002 and 2009.

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