JAMAICA’S powerfully built fast bowler Andrew Richardson is remaining positive about his West Indies chances despite not being recalled to the team that is currently on tour in Australia.

Richardson, who took 33 wickets in last season’s regional four-day tournament, was a member of the West Indies team for a short tour of England earlier this year and was retained for the home series against Bangladesh, but pulled out of the latter due to the player strike that resulted from the contract dispute between West Indies Players Association (WIPA) and the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).

Richardson looked on as pacers Kemar Roach and Gavin Tonge filled in creditably against the Bangladeshis and were picked for Australia. Many cricket experts argue that Richardson should have been ahead of both Tonge and Ravi Rampaul, who also participated in the strike, for the two remaining pace bowling slots in that team.

“Naturally, I’m disappointed I wasn’t selected to go to Australia, but I spoke to Ravi and I spoke to Gavin and I wished them all the best going Down Under,” he said.

Despite the disappointment, Richardson believes he made the correct decision in joining his colleagues in the strike. “I wish that things had gone differently. Just as I came back from England and I was in the squad to get a shot at Bangladesh and then everything just broke loose. That’s how life is at times, sometimes you are faced with options and I made my decision and I stand by it,” he said.

Even before then Richardson may have felt aggrieved when in England he did not feature in any of the two Test matches after bowling well in the warmup matches. Richardson had a best bowling performance of three for 46 and took six wickets at a cost of 26.66 in two matches on tour. “I played in the warm-up games and I took most wickets in those games and I didn’t get to play a Test match and there goes life again. I was thinking I would have gotten a go in the Test matches, but I didn’t,” he said.

The 28-year-old, who has been set back by two serious back injuries since he was a teenager, reflected on how that has affected his rise. The first injury took place when he was a member of the West Indies Under-19 team, then there was a recurrence after the 2003-2004 domestic season while playing league cricket in Lancashire, England.

That season Richardson had taken 36 wickets and stood out as Jamaica’s leading wickettaker. “It was at a very crucial time when things were really looking up for me. I was in good condition. I played all the games for Jamaica that season. It happened at the back end of the season and maybe I wasn’t really following my programme at that time.

“But it was after a long season and I pushed myself and went straight back in league cricket and I got hurt,” said Richardson, who has taken 133 first-class wickets at an average of 24.81 in 44 matches.

He conceded that the even after recuperating physically he was always burdened by doubt. “The physical work for me was not really a challenge, but the mental aspect was much harder. When I got hurt it was harder for me to develop the mental thought to bowl that first ball at full pace again because in the back of my mind I was saying you may get hurt again,” Richardson noted.

The six-foot-two-inch tall paceman believes his bowling rhythm and concentration are important elements for him to be on top of his game. “I need to concentrate a little bit more when I’m bowling and try not to wander off,” he said.

“There are some days it (the ball) really comes out very nice and I try to remember what I do on those days to get it coming out really nice. I try not run in too fast when I’m bowling because running in fast doesn’t mean you are going to bowl fast. It’s all about getting the body in the right position and releasing the ball at the right time.”

Richardson believes pitches in the West Indies are far from ideal for bowlers of his ilk who rely mostly on bounce, but contends that the onus is on the pace bowlers to use variety to offset the batsmen.

“The wickets in the Caribbean pose a major challenge for the fast bowlers. They are seemingly getting more batsman friendly as the years go by. Even if it doesn’t have the pace it would be good if we get more carry through to the wicketkeeper at a decent height. Though, I’ve never prepared a wicket in my life so whatever (pitches) they give me I just have to go out there and work with it,” he said.

The man, who made his firstclass debut in the 2002-2003 season and who has struck fear in batsmen across the region, has promised that come next season he will not let up. “For the upcoming season my plan is to play every game for Jamaica and running in all day and giving 150 per cent,” he ended.