New Zealand vs India 2020 | All you need to know about 6'8" tall New Zealand pacer Kyle Jamieson
Kyle Jamieson is as tall as a cricketer gets. At 6 feet 8 inches or 2.03 meters, Jamieson is in a unique list of super-tall international cricketers that include Pakistan's Mohammad Irfan, Joel Garner of West Indies, and Aussie Bruce Reid.
Jamieson caught everyone's eye when he took seven wickets in four matches at an economy of 4.51 in the 2014 Under-19 World Cup in the UAE, finishing as the second-highest wicket-taker for the Kiwis.
With a bowling style and attributes pretty similar to that of South Africa's Morne Morkel, Jamieson's then shot to fame with his haul of six wickets for seven runs in the 2019 Super Smash for Canterbury. Jamieson wreaked havoc among the opposition battling lineup, destroying them with raw pace and bounce.
The Kiwi has been the top wicket-taker in the Super Smash for the past two seasons, claiming 30 wickets in 16 games at a decent T20 economy of 8.08.
Jamieson isn't a bunny with the bat, as one would normally expect a tall and lanky pacer to be. In a match between New Zealand XI and England in March 2018, Jamieson stroked his way to a delightful century. He ended with a 111-ball 101, against a bowling line-up that consisted of James Anderson, Stuart Broad and Mark Wood.
Gary Stead, the current head coach of New Zealand, has been following Jamieson since his days at Canterbury while coaching the domestic team at that time. He was impressed not only with Jamieson's desire to learn, but also with his professionalism at such a young age.
"We've been really encouraged by his progress in the New Zealand Cricket winter camps and his performances for New Zealand A," Stead has been quoted as saying.
New Zealand selector Gavin Larsen also praised the tall pacer, and explained how Jamieson gave a good account of himself when he was part of New Zealand's Test squad against Australia.
"Kyle impressed the coaching staff in his time with the Test squad for the Melbourne and Sydney Tests, and will feel comfortable in the environment if included."
With words of praise coming in from all quarters of the cricketing community, Jamieson has set the bar quite high for himself even before establishing his place in the senior side. He has had a good start to his limited-overs career as well as Test career, so the signs are good.
Jamieson took the wickets of Cheteshwar Pujara, Virat Kohli and Hanuma Vihari on the first day of the first Test against India, troubling these established cricketers with deliveries that took off from a good length. Exciting times await New Zealand cricket with such a strong prospect in their pace-bowling armory.