January 30, 2013 at 5:54 p.m.
Leverock to help youngsters
In a year of fluctuating fortunes for the national cricket team, Leverock has been consistently world class.
He became the first Bermuda bowler ever to take five wickets in a one-day-international, hit the top 100 in the world rankings and ended the year with an impeccable bowling average of 20.86 after 11 ODIs.
But typically of a player who puts the success of the team before his own personal stats, Leverock said the biggest high of 2007 was being part of the Bermuda side that won the Americas Championships for the first time.
"That was the highlight. Our first one-day-international was also a great experience. I'd always watched on TV, but to be actually involved was something I'd dreamt about."
He said he had been pleased to make a good start to his ODI career taking one for 14 in ten overs at a startling economy rate of 1.4.
That good form continued and Leverock rates his five for 54 against Kenya in Africa last month and his elevation to number 98 in the world as two more highlights of 2006.
"To be in the top 100 is a great achievement, when you look at all the top cricketers that are playing around the world and for a country that has only just started playing ODIs."
Leverock said 2006 had been a learning process for Bermuda's cricketers and they had had to learn to take criticism that came with playing at the top level.
But he said he still liked to chat to fans on the street and felt that the overwhelming majority supported him and the rest of the team.
"I get respect from people on the street. I talk to them about different tours and things like that. I always like to talk to people, even if I don't know them, and explain things to them and give them a different point of view from someone who was there."
Sluggo, who rates Pakistan's Abdul Quadir and India's Anil Kumble as two of his biggest influences in the world game. said 2007 would be a big year for him, with the prospect of playing against India and Sri Lanka - two of his favourite teams in world cricket.
But the 35-year-old insisted the World Cup would not be his swansong, despite speculation that many of Bermuda's top players would retire after the competition.
He sees his role going forward as passing on his experience to younger guys like Rodney Trott and Delyone Borden who can hopefully go on to replace him as Bermuda's lead spinner.
"I'm going to stick around until I can get the youngsters to the level where they can compete comfortably at that level. I'd like to help set them on the road to, hopefully, greater things than I have achieved."
He said he would be looking to run some camps, similar to those organized by West Indies legend Lance Gibbs which helped launch his own career, to bring on the next generation of spin bowlers.
But first there is the World Cricket League and the World Cup. And Sluggo will be putting his best foot forward for Bermuda, as usual.[[In-content Ad]]
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