At a time when most young persons are gravitating towards non-traditional sports such as basketball, for example, the same can’t be said for one budding cricketer.
Stephan Pascal has had an affinity for the “gentleman’s game,” cricket, from the time he was a toddler growing up in suburbs of the city of Roseau. His father and mentor, Augustine “Beno” Pascal recalls his son’s early interaction and love for cricket.
“I remember Stephan being a toddler about two years of age and throwing the leather ball at him in our living room. His mom would be concerned that he would get injured. Fortunately, he never got injured at that stage.
“When he was about five or four years old, he always accompanied me to my training sessions during the time that I was a member of the Cavaliers Sports Club. I remembered very distinctly that during one of those practice sessions he was on the field and he was struck by the ball on the leg.
I quickly picked him up and rushed him to a nearby tap and applied ice to the affected area. As soon as he felt better, he was back on the field. This was unbelievable!” as related by the senior Pascal, who currently serves as the Public Relations Officer of the local cricketing body, the Dominica Cricket Association (DCA).
During his primary education at the St. Mary’s Primary, Pascal helped his alma mater lift the Kiddy’s Cricket title on two occasions, playing a winning hand at the Benjamin Park with a stroke-filled 38 from a mere 8 balls to lift the second title.
From the onset, it was quite evident that the younger Pascal showed great promise and it was no surprise that he was selected as a bowler to tour St. Lucia with the national Under 13 team in an invitational tournament at the tender age of 10. Although he didn’t see too much action on the field, nonetheless, that experience served him well.
“When he returned from St. Lucia, during the Sports Division Under 13 tournament, he batted at number eight and his teacher noticed that his techniques were very good and better than that of the other boys so he asked him to bat in the number five position. Later he opened the batting as the tournament progressed,” his father proudly recalled.
Despite all his previous achievements, Pascal came into the spotlight at age 12 when he was selected to represent the island at the Windward Islands Under 15 tourney in St. Vincent and the Grenadines as a frontline batsman finishing with modest returns.
During the last couple of years, Stephan has dominated the Sports Division organized cricket competitions with both bat and ball. He slammed an unbeaten 144 against the Goodwill Secondary School for his highest score on record. To date, the 14 year old has three centuries to his name as well as 25 half-centuries.
Just earlier this year, Stephan was named as captain of the Windward Islands Under 15 team, which was scheduled to participate in the Cricket West Indies Under 15 championship in Antigua in April, after serving as the vice-captain the previous year. The COVID-19 pandemic forced the organizers to cancel the tournament.
“My aim this year was to make the West Indies Under 15 team to tour England. I believe that I had a very good chance based on the work that I had put in. I really had my eyes set on making that team. However, it was not to be through no fault of anyone. I guess that at this point I simply have to continue to work hard at my game and hope that more opportunities come my way.
“I have been selected to train with the senior men’s national team but that too is on hold as a result of the pandemic. I am really going all out to make the senior team once the all-clear is given for the tournament to take place,” said the St. Mary’s Academy 3rd form student.
Pascal was a member of the national under 19
Based on the current trends such as, level of motivation, family support and dedication, there is no doubt that Pascal is destined for greater achievement and he is certainly one for the future. The sporting public, particularly the cricketing fraternity will certainly have their eyes on him.