0:00:00 – Lewis

Joff. Thanks for coming on the show, mate. It’s awesome to have you on here.

 

0:01:32 – Jofra

Yeah, it’s good to be here. I can’t remember the last. Well, geez, I can’t remember the last time I’ve seen you, yeah.

 

0:01:38 – Lewis

Actually, when did I reckon? Look, I actually was thinking when I came in. So 2016 was my last year. You broke through into the team in 2016 here in Sussex, but you were in. You were in Sussex before years before that. What year did you come over?

 

0:01:57 – Jofra

Maybe two years before that.

 

0:01:58 – Lewis

Yeah.

 

0:01:59 – Jofra

Maybe two, three years before that.

 

0:02:00 – Lewis

Yeah, Can you remember like you are a vastly different person now, like just physically like you are you know what the last message is is how my phone is 2014. Really 2014.

 

0:02:11 – Jofra

Yeah, wow. Yeah, fair enough.

 

0:02:13 – Lewis

So you’re physically you’re so much different from when. I remember seeing you come breaking into the scene around here. Can you kind of remember like how you were as a person before you when you turned up at the gates here at Sussex and you were bowling the nets and like impressing everyone that was around?

 

0:02:31 – Jofra

It all seems like a blur now, to be honest. It was so long or like, honestly, I can’t remember like a few memories that have in the early days or staying like in the clubhouse, like right next to the pub, Even even though you let know the pubs totally different and the house has been knocked down. But now you still remember, you remember being with Salty, Dan Duran, Craig Cachope, all those guys, most of the guys, went on and they played. I think everyone’s still playing some sort of cricket now. But you know those early days it was just raw, still learning your talent, still still finding your way, yeah.

 

0:03:13 – Lewis

So yeah, did you come over with, like thinking I’m going to play county cricket, did you come over? I think I ever asked you that, like, did you? Did you? I know you were around and like that would have been something that I guess it’s a self fulfilling prophecy, but like, were you coming over like hell bent on? Okay, sussex is a team I want to play for. I know you’re really close to CJ. Was that this the place you wanted to play?

 

0:03:36 – Jofra

Yeah, and even like no. You know I’ve never had the urge to leave. You know you’ve come and gone. You know some of the most of the guys that have been wrong when they first started and not much of the guys left, but you know I still want to be here. Yeah, I guess. I guess because you have some good memories. You have good times like I can’t imagine like going into another gym or I can’t imagine training on another set of nets. You know, it’s just weird to think, even thinking about it right now.

 

0:04:07 – Lewis

Yeah, mate, it’s awesome and also people that might be watching the video. They might notice there’s a dog in the house.

 

0:04:13 – Jofra

We’ve got Griff, so I don’t know if you can see him. I don’t know if you can see him, but we’ve got we’ve got Griff, which is Chris Jordan’s dog.

 

0:04:20 – Lewis

But you are mad fan and dogs. I’m a huge dog fan. The one thing I actually don’t know the breed of dogs that you have that I’ve seen at your house over in Barbados. Like what breed is that?

 

0:04:29 – Jofra

The American Bullies.

 

0:04:31 – Lewis

Right, okay, well, they like like. Well, they must have sort of their temperament. What do you love about them?

 

0:04:35 – Jofra

To be honest, they do whatever you’re doing. Yeah, they’re not fussy, they don’t need loads of exercise. To be honest, they’re pretty busy to be pretty. They’re chilled I won’t say lazy, they’re chilled man. Whatever you’re doing there, they’re more than happy to do. Yeah, but I’m just taking the piss. They’re not. They’re not lazy at all, and some of them, actually some of them, can run like they really long. I got one that’s fairly like chunky. Honestly, she run the whole day for you. Yeah. Whole day. That’s effortless as well.

 

0:05:05 – Lewis

Wow, do you ever bring him over? Like you ever thought about bringing him over?

 

0:05:09 – Jofra

One of them. He was born here. He’s just home because I was on the road from November last year. So now that I’m back for a little while, I’ll bring him back, probably close to summer, out, and then probably send him back. Well, it all depends on what I’m doing right now.

 

0:05:24 – Lewis

Yeah, yeah. So how are you feeling at the moment? Like, how’s your body feeling? Like, where are you at right now?

 

0:05:30 – Jofra

Probably well half fair to bowling like normally again. I guess I think it just passed the rehab phase. It’s just building up now.

 

0:05:40 – Lewis

Yeah, how does it talk through how it’s felt, mate? I mean, I’ve been injured. I’ve obviously had an injury that ended my career. I know sort of how tough it can be, but is it? What’s it been like for you? Sort of getting fit, playing and then grabbing on? How do you stay positive? Actually, funny enough, tex Patrick this morning just saying you were coming on the show and he was, I said like man, he’s been through it at the moment. But Patrick came straight back and goes and he remained so positive. So how have you done that? How have you managed to remain positive through this moment? I think every injury or interview I’ve seen you talk about your injuries, you’ve been positive. So I’d love to hear about what you’re thinking and where your mind goes with it.

 

0:06:24 – Jofra

No, you just got to get seven dogs. That pretty much fixes most of it and then just go home regularly as well. So that’s what I’ve been doing. Like, when you’re home, you don’t have to worry about anything. You don’t have to worry about cricket, you don’t have to worry about media. You can do whatever you want to do at your own pace as well. So I get up on mornings, deal with the dogs, head to the gym and then you got the rest of the day to do whatever you feel like doing. So that’s the biggest thing about it. You’re home with your family, your friends, like you’re not saying you don’t have well, don’t have much family in the UK anyway, but the bulk of my friends and family on Barberus, and that’s just where you’re comfortable. You know it takes so much off your mind you don’t even worry about it. Well, I know, I realize, but it takes a lot off.

 

0:07:12 – Lewis

Did you ever have a moment when you’ve had downtime, where you’ve been constantly thinking about cricket, or have you always had the space to clear your mind by doing those things, those routines being around family, friends, the?

 

0:07:24 – Jofra

first year. The first year, that was the first few weeks I was probably injured, yeah, and then gradually it just packed, phase away. Being in Barberus you already feel like I was behind England, so like if cricket’s on, sometimes you might miss it, sometimes you might only catch the back end. See you in the other week to say ultimately.

 

0:07:45 – Lewis

Yeah, my make sense. I didn’t actually think of the time zone being a thing that could actually help you out, but I saw you’ve actually been doing Pilates a little bit.

 

0:07:54 – Jofra

Yeah, I did it mostly when I had my back, because I guess with the elbow Pilates is neither here nor there, but with the back it helps a lot moving, stretching, just getting the back muscles firing again. That was why I did it and like no, like it just so I don’t go. I used to go twice, twice a week, two times a week, and I just go once a week.

 

0:08:21 – Lewis

Just one thing you might want to bring the microphone just a little closer, just might help. That’s it. So when you were growing up in Barbados, I want to know who your idols were like which is weird enough because someone asked me this in the recent podcast. So I came back and forth from Barbados, got a lot of friends out there. When I was younger I was actually a West Indies fan before I was an England fan. I was gutted when I found out that I couldn’t play for West Indies when I was younger, like something that, as a young kid, did you did you tour with Sussex?

 

0:08:53 – Jofra

Did you play in that? You didn’t play in that game at Kansas.

 

0:08:56 – Lewis

No, no, not the. The one day is like with the pro score when the pros were there. Yeah, no, I was in Australia when that was going on and that’s when, like, fidel was.

 

0:09:05 – Jofra

I remember Fidel almost led his head off. I remember that.

 

0:09:09 – Lewis

Yeah, and I think the Amjad Khan was playing and Dwayne Smith hit one of the flat as hard as sixes who did he play for?

 

0:09:16 – Jofra

He played for the Barbados team. I did he play with Sussex. I did play with Dwayne.

 

0:09:20 – Lewis

Dwayne was. Dwayne was on Barbados squad yeah, he was. He was playing for them. But my idols growing up were Ambrose and Walsh, who were yours.

 

0:09:32 – Jofra

Oh, I don’t really have any idols. It’s different in Barbados, like everyone’s just outside playing cricket. Obviously you watch the guys on TV, but you never went from TV into the road and say I want to be just like him. Like he was so focused on just playing and trying to get a mix and trying to back, like you never really had time. No, like I was telling someone the other day, like I just don’t understand. Like autographs and like selfies and stuff. Like obviously the people that great sports people and stuff, but back home, like you, just it’s, it’s not something to think of, it’s not something it’s not, it’s just not the norm. How?

 

0:10:09 – Lewis

do you? How do you find that stuff now? How do you find, like the, the, the media attention, the autographs, the selfies and things like that feeling from your side? Cause it’s different here, it’s different in the UK.

 

0:10:18 – Jofra

So you know cause you’re here a while, so you you learn to accept it as you say. Like for me, seeing it is a little bit weird, but I think after a while you know like it means a lot to the kids. It means a lot to every single person that you’ve signed up. You’ve taken the picture, like seeing them walking off and looking in their phone and smiling, or seeing the kids showing the other kid next to them their signature and he’s saying, oh, mine is bigger than yours, I spent longer signing mine than yours. Like it means a lot to the other people. So it’s fine, yeah, it’s fine.

 

0:10:52 – Lewis

Yeah, but it is. It isn’t different thing, like especially when I have been over on the island like you see cricketers that played international cricket and they’re just sort of literally lining out around everyone and they’re just not it’s just different it just it’s just different, I think probably in the last couple of years.

 

0:11:12 – Jofra

actually, you know what? I still don’t think I’ve seen much kids home. So like autographs is mostly it will, it will mostly be the appearance. But a kid in the Caribbean is hardly ever going to actually feel signature, hardly ever. They might ask for a photo, but signature Absolutely.

 

0:11:27 – Lewis

Yeah, I was always a thing, me and my brother, we were always like don’t, don’t be that person, just don’t go and up to it. And then, if I really wanted one, I remember seeing the Australian team on an Acro beach in my baby. So I was like pushing my brother, like you go. I was like, yeah, just is a different mindset. But when you were younger, what? How did you? How did you develop as a youngster? Like I know, you were at Pickwick cricket club. So what was yours? How did you sort of like get into cricket? What was your sort of stepping stone in? And I guess another question would be when did you sort of know? Like this is something I really want to do.

 

0:12:04 – Jofra

Step school cricket. So they all like primary school, secondary school, they all have their cricket programs. I was lucky enough to go to a really good cricket in school in secondary school and we won. We pretty much won everything. We won on the 13, on the 15, on the 19, won on the 19 twice. You know, yeah, we were just. We had a really good batch of cricketers.

 

My best mate he played for West Indies on the 19s he was probably the only him and Aaron Jones I think they were the only two that they played at a really high level. But the rival school was Conbomera and I think most of their boys they played some sort of the A’s group or path cricket for Barbatos. You know, like a lot of them guys went on and play for a cast cricket as well. They don’t think. Yeah, I think the only person from our year that that play for a cast cricket was Aaron Jones and myself. The guys from Conbomera I reckon probably about six of their boys have have have gone on and played.

 

So yeah, I think I knew when it was about, probably right after on the 19, I had a feeling that I could. I had a chance of being a perfect, well, of trying to be a professional. I thought it was, I thought it was good enough, and then my mom definitely thought it was good enough as well. So that was half the job I already done. I just had to convince some coaches somewhere that you know I was worth taking the chance with.

 

0:13:35 – Lewis

But they didn’t, they, they, you didn’t stay in that West Indies setup. And when, when you were older, I was that like when they sort of said, no, what, what did you? Did that set a fire in? You Did, yeah, how did? You feel I’m not really fired.

 

0:13:51 – Jofra

You see like, you see like patterns, you see I think you get an idea of who’s going to play, who they like who. Yeah, you had a feeling you, you pretty much knew it was pretty obvious. You know who, the who, the people are that they would invest their time in. And you know, no, no, I feel there’s anything. You know I was, I was a bit lucky having a British passport, so I love to have a British passport. So you know, when that time came, I just said I just explore my other options and you know, luckily it was the right decision and you know I’m forever grateful for leaving.

 

0:14:28 – Lewis

Yeah, when you came over here, I know you came really close with John Lewis and you ended up living with him. Do you live with him for a year? Two, two, wow. John is like one of the. He was Godfather for all of us here and he’s a phenomenal coach. What did your experience with him? What were there any things, lessons that came out of that, your time there and maybe a shift that you had from your time with John?

 

0:14:54 – Jofra

Honestly, not really. You know, what would say is that you welcome me and Del and Kadele. We were with him for those two years and we were literally part of the family. I still think his I think at one point because his son was pretty young, I think at one point he went to school one day and they had to draw their family tree and he drew me and Del in the family tree and the teacher not message when she came to, when Anita came to pick Georgia, the teacher said you know, they are, they’re two black kids in the photo. And Anita was like yeah, no, and then she just picked up Georgia left. So he saw it. He saw it Like it was. It was so funny.

 

But yeah, I reckon George taught me where his brother’s cousins at some point for a little while. But now, john, you can talk cricket anytime, he was never really pushing, he never said that I had to do this, I had to do that and you know it was just, it was just fantastic. I remember just before I played for England, like a few years before I played for England, you know we sat down, we were looking at stats because John was one of the first people to play T20.

 

0:16:11 – Lewis

He was around when T20 just came out Big old baggy shirts yeah. You ever see them.

 

0:16:17 – Jofra

So I kept asking him for his figures and stuff. So I told him I’m going to play. I told him I’m going to play more games for England than him. I think I passed him in the ODA. He’s a passing in T20s. I think I passed him in. I think I passed him in tests as well, probably have passed him in tests. He is adamant and, to be honest, he is right. I don’t think I come close to his first class stuff.

 

0:16:39 – Lewis

I mean, it’s mental. It’s what? 680 on wickets.

 

0:16:43 – Jofra

I think, it’s ridiculous. Like the amount of games that you had and three quite a bit of glossed as well. They meant to gloss and I’m like there’s no way to see him as getting them Make it here. So yeah, it had to be something different.

 

0:16:53 – Lewis

Like, and he had do you have a Walsh or Ambrose playing now? I think it was Ambrose. I want to say, yeah, definitely.

 

0:17:03 – Jofra

I want to say it was him, yeah, it was Cody, but he said he speaks so highly of him as well because he was the overseas when he was there and I think having him there did a lot for his cricket and his development as well, yeah, nice.

 

0:17:16 – Lewis

I mean I attribute so much for him around, like how I thought about the game when he came on the scene. He’s got this beautiful blend of and I think it’s a really good and you can correct me if you think something different with coaches, but I think coaches can have this really good blend of being hard on you when you need it and then put an arm around you when you need it, and then have that banter when you need it and be able to not have almost one track mind on everything. If they’re one personality all the time, it can be really, really difficult.

 

0:17:46 – Jofra

Yeah, that’s perfect actually, and he’s got to be a red misfin. He’s playing football.

 

0:17:50 – Lewis

Red misfin he’s playing as well. He’s got some of the funniest things I’ve ever heard on Croupeville.

 

0:17:54 – Jofra

He’s the most angriest man, but also he’s probably one of the slowest. He’s angry, but he’s not going to hit you with a bonk so easy. No. He’s going to blow his shit off like more than likely, yeah, but yeah.

 

0:18:08 – Lewis

Do you ever get angry? Do you ever find yourself getting angry in the field?

 

0:18:13 – Jofra

I think probably the one time I never get angry, but I think there was one time he probably nudged me. I remember when I first got my hair done against Kent. He was like the boys are laughing at you, they’re laughing at you here, though. So he was like you should go and show them. That’s all right, cool, no problem. I think he came back with like six, seven for me. But yeah, none of that. No, I don’t really get angry.

 

0:18:38 – Lewis

No, You’re attributed all the time for saying so calm and obviously well cut final. Like you’re super calm. Is there anything that you do in preparation that helps you stay calm? Is there anything that you tell in yourself or anything you’re focusing on, especially in the moment when you’re under pressure?

 

0:18:58 – Jofra

No, I guess not just me, but I think most of the guys back at home and just like that. So they say I don’t think you’ll ever see. I think I’ve seen him upset once and it was even cricket related. Yeah.

 

0:19:12 – Lewis

Where do you think that comes from? Like what do you think creates that the culture? Like they’re just the actual grown up, because here are a lot of athletes I deal with right now. They’re like riddled with fear of failure. They’re riddled with the fact that they are fearing doing badly and the fact that if this doesn’t go right, then it’s going to say terrible things about me and like who I am, and I just don’t feel like you or CJ have that. So I’m so curious as to see like where do you think that that comes from?

 

0:19:40 – Jofra

I don’t really know, but for us, we can’t ever see ourselves as failures. I think we already kind of broke away from a whole different country. You’re coming into a new country and finding your feet and doing well for ourselves. So even if we fail here, it’s still not a failure, because we’re here, if you get me. So we got a lot to be grateful for. Even like, no, like even the last few years haven’t gone to plan. I’ve never lost hope. I’ve never gotten angry. Like. Everything happens for a reason. The record Everything happens for a reason and that’s that’s what you go on your way out to believe.

 

0:20:23 – Lewis

Yeah, People can hear it. Grif griffs the snooze button and he’s already having a snore, so he’s passed out already.

 

0:20:31 – Jofra

It used to be worse than that, but it’s been. I think he’s gone a little bit better as he got an older. Yeah, as he jumped in the bed, I was like I didn’t even know he was there till this morning.

 

0:20:40 – Lewis

Really, yeah, you don’t know Like hot as well, like dog in the bed. No, I got a fan. Oh, you’re right, I got a fan. I got a fan.

 

0:20:49 – Jofra

And I think you only know as well when you try to pull the blanket and the blanket doesn’t move. Okay, he’s on the bed.

 

0:20:54 – Lewis

You said about, like, always having hope and believing and, like we’ve mentioned, about staying positive. Right now, the England selectors like haven’t they’ve still ruled in you into the team, which is amazing and to have not played in a long time and still have that faith put on you, how does how do you take that Like? Does that put any pressure on you? Do you feel like there’s? There is added pressure when, when they’re sort of still back in you and you haven’t played in a while?

 

0:21:21 – Jofra

I won’t say pressure. The only people that only cares about that kind of stuff is the media, cause then they’re going to hype you up the whole time, saying, uh, the longer we take combat and if you don’t take it for your final return, they’re going to say that your affiliates have been like that. But, um, now, most of the teams, you know they, they give you grace. You know like if you hope for well, you can’t expect you to operate where you were, like where you left off. So they must. Almost every single team has been really understanding and you know everyone’s, just as I said, just waiting, waiting for me to come back and come back properly. So you know you do want to come back and you don’t want to do well, literally straight your first game back. You want to, but sometimes it doesn’t always happen that way.

 

0:22:06 – Lewis

Yeah. So there’s an element of, as you’ve gone older, maybe a bit more wiser, like do you are you are you are you um, given yourself that sort of less expectation to do what like well, straightaway, or do you con, is it for you? I just want to do, uh, the best I possibly can all the time.

 

0:22:28 – Jofra

It doesn’t really matter. A bit of that and a bit of giving is cutting yourself some slack. You didn’t. You did all the hard work, did all the rehab, you did everything to get back. You know the cricket will take care of itself, but the hardest part is actually being back. Yeah.

 

0:22:43 – Lewis

You excited about it, like you just feeling good now with you actually holding your hand, honestly, yes, it’s really, yeah, same as gone.

 

0:22:50 – Jofra

Well, I won’t say gone, but of this is probably the second time I’ve did rehab and built up and come back and on. So like it’s still the drive there, but I won’t say it’s as intense, like you know. Like I just know that when they come back and I know if I stay on the park for one year and I’m going to do amazing, so I know I just need to come back, so I don’t think too hard about it.

 

0:23:13 – Lewis

That’s it With, uh, with skills wise, is there anything you want to get better at? Is anything that you’re looking to develop something in your game that you, you know you want to, you’ve, you’ve potentially want to up a little bit?

 

0:23:26 – Jofra

To be honest, um, probably just getting the opportunity with the bat. You know, I guess basketball’s the wrong thing. So if there’s ever a time that you might get promoted, you’ll be know. But you know, I feel like, I feel like I got pushed to it. So the little bit like performing for sets, it’s like, to be honest. So like one year has what 60, 60 wickets, 500 runs and then going into the. Well, it’s hard, it’s hard to bat any any like. Oh anyway, I just feel like I just want to get a good, just want the courts to bat me.

 

0:24:06 – Lewis

Where would you, where’d you like to right? Where’d be your place? You’d like to bat?

 

0:24:10 – Jofra

Like six and seven, six or seven, and just just be given the like, the freedom, the opportunity to say it doesn’t matter if you feel or not, we believe in you and we see what you can do and just have a season there Like definitely a white wall. I definitely do get a chance to bat a bit higher, especially depending on the situation, but I feel like in Red Bull I got a lot to offer.

 

0:24:30 – Lewis

Yeah, so I do like Stuart Broad’s obviously done like that, obviously night, night or role. Do you reckon that’s that? Have you ever done night watchman? Have you ever come in and done that sort of role?

 

0:24:41 – Jofra

Cause there’s an opportunity I don’t want to get out.

 

0:24:43 – Lewis

That’s the thing I used to do it and you’re like, geez, I’m a sacrificial lamb, going out there, Like, but then everyone used to and I don’t know whether this was just lip service at the time. They’re just pushing you out. They’re going mate, you, you last the day you got you got runs tomorrow. And you’re like, yeah, you’re probably not wrong, Like you can bat and they’ll be the top order. I remember playing Derby here at Sussex and like first three weekends to go in the day with the batters and not me. And you’re like, I’ve got a chance here. Sure enough, I get out next ball.

 

0:25:06 – Jofra

I think I did it. Did I do it once? I think I did it one single time. I actually did it Actually. No, I didn’t. I remember the one time I was still feeling young and I came out like nine Back then like she’s a, cj was bad in that eight, so like we had a great team, it’s a strong team. So actually, yeah, ajra’s night watch when he got home. So we came off, so it was next in the next day.

 

I remember the guy started bringing all the, all the fielders in and someone because Bronie was bad in a Bronie, bronie was like on 60 and thinking about it, matt Cools. You know, when he was at Kent, I think it was Matt Cools. It was like all right, guys, just get this bunny. Let’s, let’s wrap this in. Is I just get this bunny out? And Bronie said I could hear you, say you wait a bit, you wait. And probably two hours later me and Bronie was still batting, I think Bronie, bronie got on 99, actually got LBW, and I came in. I tell you I got 60. So literally like 15 minutes in all the chatter. I mean as soon as I got a few boundaries away, like can you hear anyone?

 

0:26:20 – Lewis

Did you when you were a kid? Did you want to be? Did you always want to be a bowler? Did you start wanting to be a batter? Because I know there’s stories of international cricketers that ended up being bowlers, and then swap over. They start this open, as what were you saying? No, always bowling.

 

0:26:37 – Jofra

I was even a fast bowler and you said, well, fast and tick ball so you could bat again. So like how it works back home is if no one gets you, you’re back the whole day, you can, you’d lick it, you can bat the whole evening till cricket is over. So then, if in the time you get old, you’re bowling or you want to bat again. So that’s, that’s pretty much how I started out bowling, bowling fast.

 

0:27:02 – Lewis

Have you spent with basketball being a big thing at the moment? Have you spent much time around Brendan McCullum, like, have you got to chat with him? And mostly what’s up to massive?

 

0:27:11 – Jofra

I think he messaged me like two days ago as well, but since I’ve been injured him and Marty, they have been. They’ve been in contact the whole way through. Wow. That’s amazing, that’s amazing.

 

0:27:21 – Lewis

I reckon Is this just to check in on you Like, just to check how you’re doing. Like is that like? How are you, how are you feeling what’s going on?

 

0:27:28 – Jofra

I felt like if I badgered him enough, I feel he would have taken me to Pakistan, because we had we had the pretest camp in November last year and it was doing really well. Then it would have been the biggest take in me because it was only a few months after being back, but I felt that if I bothered him enough, I feel he would have let me. But now both of the coaches are really good. You know, like neither of them were around in 2019. Like they weren’t around when I was playing, so both of them have taken the jobs when I was injured. You know it’s not really well. It is their responsibility, but still isn’t. Yeah.

 

But it’s still good to see that although, like some injured, they’re still like checking in and have some sort of interest.

 

0:28:10 – Lewis

Yeah, there’s loads of love there for you. Just real interesting how you’re getting on. Look, mate, I want to take a bit of a right turn with things and the the report that came out in cricket, the IEC report that came out and said that there was a lot of elitism, racism and sexism in in sport. What’s your what’s in cricket? In cricket, yeah, fair enough. What? What has been your experience in in coming into sport with whether it’s racism or elitism?

 

0:28:40 – Jofra

Well, I mean, I only had one little bit of racism in New Zealand. That was what 2019 again, I think but other than that I’ve never had anything. I don’t, I don’t think you would get much in in the. It’s different man. I don’t think anyone would be bold enough to do it in the UK. I mean, it definitely happens, but I don’t feel like anyone would be bold enough to do it at a cricket game. Maybe for definitely football, but in cricket I’ve never really experienced anything other than what I experienced in New Zealand and then, like Ken, ken sorted the situation out in the in the matter of hours is well, in New Zealand. Yeah.

 

I think New Zealand is probably the last bit. I expected it to happen as well.

 

0:29:26 – Lewis

Yeah, yeah, which is actually wild to think about, just with the culture, and. But I think my opinion of it was the fact that I think the report, while there will be the findings, will be true that sport is only a reflection of society and to say that there’s not a litism, sexism and racism in in society would be false to say I but. But for one thing and it’s hard saying as a white guy that my experience here at Sussex, coming into a changing room with people from Caribbean, from India, pakistan, from New Zealand, all different religions, races I actually think cricket is one of the best sports for breaking down some of those boundaries and I think most of the issues lie outside of the game.

 

0:30:13 – Jofra

That’s the reason why I’m even here. You know, I was actually supposed to go to Northampton and CJ called me. Cj called me the night before I got on the train to go out and he said I sport to the course. And he said come down, because obviously I had CJ salty I can’t say the salty back, to be honest, cj Salty, dell tomorrow.

 

I had other mates that were playing in and around the Sussex League as well, so you felt more comfortable to be on the Sussex, sussex, literally. We had almost like five black guys in the team at one point. So it’s good, I’ve seen Kent, kent, they got Debs, they got Tawanda now as well. Honestly, tawanda should have been at Sussex. I don’t know, I don’t know how he ended up at Kent. Who’s the Eastbourne? Yeah, I’m telling you, I do not know how we missed him. He’s going to be really really good, really really good.

 

But off the back of what you said earlier, I feel like sometimes as black people, we don’t even want to say even if we do experience some enrages. We don’t want to say it because then some people will say as an excuse or say it as an easy way out. When it actually happened, I thought, I thought long and hard about even saying anything. When it happened in New Zealand, like literally sat down. I remember when I got into the changer, when I was like should I let it slide? Sometimes you don’t even think to take any action.

 

0:31:47 – Lewis

I know you’re close with, or you’ve spoken with, marcus Rashford and after that him, sancho and Sakur had such bad. I don’t think so. The Sancho miss? I don’t think so. They were abused online, did he miss? I can’t remember. I know Marcus missed Sakur missed.

 

0:32:07 – Jofra

I can’t remember Sancho, to be honest, Because they were there.

 

0:32:10 – Lewis

My point being is that they’ve received a lot of abuse online and you’ve been pretty good at calling it out. I love seeing people calling it out. I think if people are putting something online and they’re brave enough to go and create, that online they never use their own profile, they never use the profile picture.

 

0:32:31 – Jofra

They’re brave enough to do it, but not properly. If you’re brave enough to say it, show yourself. Show yourself.

 

0:32:38 – Lewis

Yeah, it’s important. I think it’s so important. People are just calling it out and people say I don’t know whether to put their profile out there. Throw it out there, make it real, show them what for what they’re saying and doing. I think the way you’ve done it is awesome. Look, I’m really conscious of time and I’m so thankful for your time giving it. There’s a couple of things I think you were had to be that coming in at last minute, yeah, but although even though that machine’s coming past best outfield in the country right now, for sure that outfield is unreal. I’m walking out there, but before we go in, there’ll be young creators listening to this. There’ll be people that want to have the success you’ve had playing the teams that you’re playing in. What advice would you give to a young bowler right now, with the experience you’ve got been in the teams you’ve been in all around the world? What would you give them for, whether it’s their body, their skills, yeah, what advice would you give a young player? Probably.

 

0:33:41 – Jofra

Strength and conditioning is probably the biggest thing, especially now. I think I’ve been lucky. I’m kind of unlucky For the rest of the day. I’ve played literally almost every single game for four or five years. I feel like the better you take care of your body, the better your body will take care of you. I feel like you need to play in all the hard yards outside of, away from actual batting ball, because that’s the way you will stay longer on the part. It will make you more robust. I hope though I don’t know I see some really, really strong guys, especially the cricket guys, in the gym 24-7, and still get injured. I don’t know.

 

0:34:26 – Lewis

It’s such a unique thing Fast bowling. I used to wait for this machine to go by. You can never trust the cricket ground.

 

0:34:37 – Jofra

Yeah, it was. It’s just hard. Once you find the balance between S&C and then cricket, I think that would be really really good, really important.

 

0:34:47 – Lewis

I think being an S&C coach in cricket is one of my hardest things. You go there, you learn all the right things to do and then you’re like this sport is just endless.

 

0:34:55 – Jofra

They’ve been fractured, for this is like two years Since I’ve been injured. There’s been so many more fractures, Not just in England. People have been going all over Boomerah, Calgiomason, different countries, Everyone’s going. I really don’t know. Everyone’s got good S&C coaches and stuff, these international guys. I don’t know man, I’d like to know a little bit more about it. Probably that as well. Who knows honestly? Who knows?

 

0:35:25 – Lewis

From a skill point though, because it’s so hard to blend, get like rest in recovering and then being able to develop your skills. I actually always say to people the hardest time to develop your skills was pretty much when I turned pro. Like putting in all that work early on was so important, and then, when you become pro, it’s like you’ve got to pride yourself on recovery and not being in the nets and not training because you don’t want to damage anything. How do you balance that right now for yourself? And, yeah, I guess, is there anything any way that you’ve sort of found of keeping your skills up with resting your body?

 

0:35:59 – Jofra

To be honest, I think, probably know, I think I’m at the stage where we have been like, I feel like every ball that I’ve born now is important, whereas before I could ball the whole day, I could ball the whole training. You know, you never think about it, it just for me. I was just always balling, always batting, always playing cricket. But I feel like, no, I have to chill a little bit. Yeah, okay.

 

Yeah, I definitely needed to chill a little bit, but before I never thought that I could get into, I thought I was invincible when I was younger. Yeah.

 

0:36:34 – Lewis

Yeah, I used to have that as well. Then I think one of the best things that ever happened to me and I know you had something similar was I go into young, I go into when I was 16. And then that was the thing that, for me, gave me the reality of, okay, my body could be something here that could let me down. I don’t want that. Obviously. I’ve got my condition and things like that, but I don’t want that to be the case and just went and put in. A coach said to me brilliantly one day. He was like put in the foundation of work that you need right now, so that you don’t have to do it later on, so that you’re not right now, at 25, 26, 27, 28, whenever you get there, like you’re having to put in that work.

 

0:37:13 – Jofra

That’s the same thing. You asked me earlier If there’s any part of a game that I want to expand. No, like I did everything I needed to do, like balling ways, variations back of the hand, knuckleball. I did all of that when I was young. Yeah. I literally cemented it as part of the arsenal. So like no, and people ask if there’s any balls that you want to learn. Like no, not to say no, not to say no at all. But most of the slow balls or variations I do have, yeah.

 

0:37:45 – Lewis

You said about your mindset was like you’re a bit more, every ball means more. So even when you’re in the nets, like warming up, you’re putting quality on that and is that what you’re doing?

 

0:37:57 – Jofra

Definitely. Well, no, I’m saying I’m doing that. No, I said before, like, as you said, like you’re just ball, just ball, ball, ball, ball ball. We have to know that after a few injuries, you know, like everybody’s born with stress, just and important.

 

0:38:09 – Lewis

It’s hard to say what the right one is, though, don’t you think, like if you just say back when I was a kid, if I put more quality on the every ball then and maybe not bold as meant as much would I be would I have fast tracked my progress? I think it’s hindsight right, and I get so many people who are not in the game or played sport be like oh well, what if you did this? And I’m like why didn’t I didn’t? I’m here where I’m at Cause I’ve done well as you said that same of here.

 

0:38:34 – Jofra

Okay, the first year that I played the two is I played three games. I kind of got like four. We get to every single game, me and Hobsey. Me and Hobsey were bombing it for the twos and then I got injured got injured in my back and I’m pretty sure if I kept playing that season I would have got a contract 100%, cause Chops got one as well that year and they, I think he ended up playing because I got to the UK a few weeks before him. So I was playing, I was playing, I played like four games before Chops did. So, like the last, actually the last game I played, chops got like 80, like over like 40 balls. Yeah, great plan. But yeah, I was just just say that to say like you could say what if, like you know, I could, I could say potentially I could have played for England a little bit sooner. If I played for Sussex my first year, I would have played first class sooner and then probably been on a real like. As I told you, everything happens for a reason. Yeah.

 

0:39:28 – Lewis

Everything happens for a reason Cause you could go the other way, like slide indoors. Moment you go the other way, you don’t know whether you would have got injured sooner. Like there’s so many statistics on young players.

 

0:39:37 – Jofra

I could have made my debut and I could have gone at sixes and got no mickets and not play the game for the rest of the season. So you know it’s uncertainty and hindsight. So much could go wrong or so much could go right, who knows, I don’t really want to find out. I’m happy with all my path to make you know the ups and downs. They make you who you are, because cricket, like cricket, is not one of those predictable games. Cricket is so unpredictable and you know you’re going to have bad days. You’re going to ball by balls and I guess your dons just teach you how to deal with them and quote with stuff.

 

0:40:11 – Lewis

Yeah, how do you deal with if you have had a bad game, if you’ve not performed the way you wanted to? What do you do?

 

0:40:18 – Jofra

Well, I never had a bad game twice. That’s what I tell myself, and luckily I’ve never did. So you know, it’s okay to have a bad game, a bad day, that’s fine.

 

0:40:27 – Lewis

That’s such a good, that’s such a good outlet to have, I think, so many.

 

0:40:30 – Jofra

I’ve never had a bad game twice and this year is testament to that my first 50 over back for England. South Africa had my worst, my worst, my worst 10 ever. I went for like 70. I never even went for. I don’t think, I don’t think I barely went for 40 in the World Cup, I went for 70. And you know what happened the very next game I had my worst figures and my best figures literally four days apart.

 

0:41:02 – Lewis

It’s crazy, isn’t it? I think so many, and like so many kids, all just focus on the bad one and then they forget what they do Because it clouds your judgment on the day when you could potentially put in another good performance. Like I’m always saying to kids like, or anyone like, as quickly as you think it goes wrong, like it can go right again. There’s no difference in speed at which those two happen. It could go right just as quick as it could go wrong.

 

0:41:26 – Jofra

Exactly. I saw that for myself, so definitely believe it.

 

0:41:30 – Lewis

Oh, mate, it’s awesome. Look, you’ve been unreal job. Like thanks and Griff snoring away in the corner. I never think you’re sleeping. To be honest, I don’t think he’s just chatting, just wants to get involved. I always ask people just for the end of the show if there’s anything there, whether it’s a quote, a book, a documentary, a film that they have watched recently, listened to or used that potentially inspires them or they found interesting. Yeah, is there one that you potentially have? Whether it’s a book, documentary, film, quote that you love and live by, something that has inspired you?

 

0:42:08 – Jofra

I just guess everything happens for a reason. I see sports documentaries but I don’t think that I don’t think any of them have really like like 100% relatable, like they’ll be bits and pieces, but I just I don’t think I’ve seen that documentary. That really for hardly like resonates with me. But I, honestly, I just live by. Everything happens for a reason, like I never question you might get upset for maybe a DR2 about being injured, but I don’t think I bought it too much. You know it’s okay to feel how you feel, but just know that that’s not the end. And even if it’s the end, like it’s for a reason yeah, for a reason.

 

0:43:01 – Lewis

Mate. Awesome. I really appreciate your time. Thanks for doing it. It’s been great catching up. It’s been great doing it, being able to do it here. It’s about a Sussex, so I appreciate it and I’m really excited for what the next I guess six to 12 months is going to look like for you and I’ve no doubt, with the mindset that you’ve got mate, you’re going to smash it. Never had a bad game twice, so good luck and again thanks for coming on.

 

0:43:25 – Jofra

All right, cheers. Thank you, Thank you.