Waratah’s James Seymour ‘wasn’t good enough’ according to coach Udara Weerasinghe, before the star allrounder proved him wrong during the Red Caps’ 2020 Darwin Premier Grade title-winning season

IT wasn’t long ago when star Waratah allrounder James Seymour “wasn’t good enough”, before his classy 60 for Victoria on his Sheffield Shield debut. But the 29-year-old has always had a steely determination to prove people wrong.

Star Waratah allrounder James Seymour hits a shot through the covers during his 60 on his Sheffield Shield debut against South Australia. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

WARATAH playing-coach Udara Weerasinghe did not mind when he was asked to clarify the following when he was asked about his star allrounder James Seymour, who hit an impressive 60 on his Sheffield Shield debut for Victoria against South Australia.

“Last year Jimmy showed his maturity,” Weerasinghe told the NT News, with Seymour hitting three hundreds for the Red Caps in their title-winning 2020 Darwin Premier Grade season.

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“But before that he wasn’t good enough for first-class cricket.

“He wanted to prove himself that he was good enough, and last year he showed the whole club that he is now good enough to play at that level.

“We saw how dedicated he became to improving himself as a player and a person last year, and how much he matured.

“And I think being at a multicultural club like Waratah Warriors really helped him off the field.

“Just having that mix of different people around him was really good for him, and as I coach I just tried to empower him and his mentality as much as I could.”

Born in Victoria but a veteran of seven years at Waratah just emphasises Seymour’s insatiable appetite for runs.

James Seymour after his half-century milestone for Victoria against South Australia on his Sheffield Shield debut. Picture: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images

“He’s played seven years in a row at Waratah and that just shows how dedicated he is,” Weerasinghe said.

“His mindset is to dominate with the bat, and he’s always had an ambition to play at the next level.”

Weerasinghe – himself a former first-class player in Sri Lanka – said Seymour has proven that age should be no barrier when striving to play professionally.

“Jimmy has shown that it’s not just about promoting junior players. You can also look closely at the mature players,” he said of his 29-year-old Waratah teammate.

“Jimmy has opened doors for older players to keep the faith, and good on the Victorian selectors for finally giving him an opportunity.

“I’ve always told him ‘just keep going’ – he works so hard.

“And if you keep working hard you can earn your spot. He’s a classic example.”