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West Indies fastbowler Franklyn Rose is eager to return to the regional side. The 27-year-old pacer who made his Test debut against India in 1997 and has played 13 Tests in which he has taken some 34 wickets, has fully recovered from the shoulder injury which severely hampered him on the ill-fated tour of South Africa late last year.

Recently One-on-One caught up with Rose and asked him a few questions.

When did your interest in cricket start?

At a very young age. I have always loved cricket.

When did you decide that fastbowling was what you were going to concentrate on?

I decided to take up fastbowling fulltime at Holmwood Technical. At first I was a wicketkeeper but my coach felt I was too tall. I went and tried bowling and told the coach that I felt comfortable with it. We had a game the following week and I was the opening bowler. From then onwards I worked hard on my bowling.

What are your thoughts on how the West Indies team performed in the recently concluded World Cup?

Over the years, the batting has always let us down, and it was no surprise that the batting let us down again. I felt so sorry for the bowlers in the World Cup....probably it was a good thing I was not there. The bowlers hardly got a chance to rest.

Do you think the selectors might have erred in some of the players they chose to represent the region in the tournmament?

I don't think so. I think that was the best squad...the best set of players in the Caribbean.

Were you disappointed that Ricardo Powell was given more of a chance to play?

Yes. I must say tough luck to Ricardo Powell. He played in the toughest game (Pakistan). I wish I could have seen him in the weaker games like Scotland. I feft so sorry for him.

What do you think are the problems with West Indies cricket on a whole?

I think our major problem is batting. Once West Indies makes over 250 runs, the record can tell you that we don't lose very often. If the batting become more consistent, I think the results will gradually become bettter.

Do you think that regional talent in the sport has diminished significantly?

Oh, yes. It is so sad to see the talent that we have now, especially in the batting. It's a pity that we have to be using some of the older guys instead of the young players.

Are you of the view that other sports, are taking away some of cricket's talent?

I think so. It is good to see us now having U-12 and U-15 competitions. A lot of young talent is there and hopefully in the near future, I can watch them play for the West Indies team. Football, cricket and track and field, are the main sports and the interest will always be there.

What do you think is your main strength in bowling?

I get most of wickets behind the wicket. I think my main strength is to pitch up the ball and allow it to go away from the righthander.

What is your main weakness?

My main weakness, is probably just to get carried away and lose my focus a bit.

What are your cricketing aspirations?

To stay in the West Indies team as long as possible when selected again, to keep injury free and hopefully to adequately replace Walsh and Ambrose when they are gone.

Are we at a panic stage in West Indies cricket?

I don't think so. There is some work to be done, but I don't think it has reached that stage yet. West Indian supporters are one of the hardest set of people to please and I think that is because they are not used to the West Indies losing but they've got to understand that other teams are training to beat you as well.

Any players in the game that you admire.

A: I always admire Wasim Akram. I also like Hansie Cronje. He is a very nice guy, not only on the field but off the field as well. I wish I could be around him some more to exchange words with him... you must learn something when you are around those guys. I will not forget Walsh and Ambrose, my two idols in the West Indies team.

Any players that you would prefer staying away from because of their attitude?

No, not really. I haven't experienced anything like that as yet. I don't want to experience anything like that in my cricket. I want to enjoy myself with my teammates and the opponents on and off the field. -Fitzroy Prendergast