'Change Must Come From Within'

When you look into Runako Morton's eyes, you can see through to his soul. You can see that a soul which was once lost, has found its way back home and he has one thing above all others to thank for that ? love.

This cricketer from the tiny island of Nevis became famous early on in his career but not for his skills on the field. By his body language and carefully worded responses, he prefers not to talk about past incidents that some feel may have cost him a regular spot on the West Indies team. He, however, is optimistic; optimistic about his cricket career, and most importantly, optimistic about life.

Runako Morton's focus is now on the future, one made brighter by what he refers to as his 'diamond'. He too was a diamond, one in the rough, and it looks like slowly and surely, all of his brilliance is shining through. Recent evidence of that was the way he dominated the last regional one day tournament in Guyana, finishing top of the tables with the most runs scored and, at 104, the highest average.

In this year's Carib Beer tournament, the athletically built right handed batsman fell short of his personal goals, but still managed to chalk up two centuries and finish among the top ten run scorers. A move to his wife's native Trinidad & Tobago means that he has been playing more competitive cricket than when he resided in the Leeward Islands.

And it also means being out of an environment that may have contributed to his past injudicious actions. His renewed focus and zest for life was plain to see when CaribbeanCricket.com spoke with the Nevisian cricketer...

You're living in Trinidad now. It must be quite a switch from Nevis that has probably no crime or zero crime compared to Trinidad, which people say is becoming more and more like Jamaica. How have you adjusted?

Once you're not in the way of the gangsters, so to speak, the crime situation, it's a slim chance it will have an effect on you. Family life has really been a big plus, THE big plus in my life up until now. The transformation wasn't difficult for me at all.

Would you say that that has been a stabilizing force as well for you?

I would say that, to make a long story short.

If you had to look back on your career, and you were now counselling somebody who might be going through some issues similar to what you went through, how would you counsel them, how would you advise them?

First of all you shouldn't act...most people...I mean I suffered the consequences of acting hastily. Before you act, just think about who it could have an impact on, in terms of family, friends and even yourself. Just give whatever you are doing a long hard thought and try and make the right decisions in your life.

The professional help you got in that year's suspension, did it help you?

Honestly speaking, the professional help that was put forth to supposedly to help me, I didn't really benefit much from it. Most of my rehabilitation was from more or less from within, and from my family standpoint.

How did you get the strength from within to actually improve to the way that you have improved?

When you really care about someone, your family, you see the hurt that they go through each and every day, knowing that they want to see you doing what you love to do, and they love to see you do it as well, I mean, if you have any love or really care about your family, you should make a conscious effort to make the change, to make everybody happy and in turn make yourself happy and comfortable as well.

Would you say that you are happy and comfortable now?

I am enjoying my life now man. I'm enjoying cricket, enjoying all aspects of life right now.

What do you see in your future, let's say five years down the road?

Hopefully having a stable spot in the West Indies team and contributing both with the bat and doing my stuff in the field and being a good role model for the young kids coming up.

What do you think you have to do to get that spot in the West Indies team? I heard Neville Bell ask you if you think that your history is what has prevented you from being in the team. I believe you said no, but what do you think you, Runako Morton have to do to get a spot?

Just continue doing what I'm doing presently in my personal life and in my professional life. Making the right decisions, staying focussed and score a lot of runs, and consistently as well.

And you've done that for this past first class season. I'm sure you must be pleased with the season that you've had?

I'm pleased to a certain extent. The runs have been coming but not as consistently as I would have liked. I'd have one innings good and throw away a couple of starts that I got this year that could have eventually turned into a big total, but you learn from your mistakes. I made a big mistake in this game as well, that could have cost the team but so be it. Like I said it could be good if we got a 250 run lead, which we're getting now. So it shows what experience does, so as I go along, we learn more and experience more stuff and try to utilize it.

This season has come after you've attended a camp with the West Indies coach Bennett King. How was that camp for you?

It was good. It's not the first time I've worked with him. I've worked with him by the Academy as well [in 2001], so most of the stuff that was taught to us, I had already been through some of them. All in all, he's a good coach, knows his stuff. His sessions are very tough, but exciting and challenging, so it was beneficial.

He mentioned that he would have been giving everybody an exit interview so to speak, where he would discuss strengths and weaknesses and what you had to work on. Did that happen for you first of all, and if it did, was it beneficial?

Yes, it did. He didn't really go into the cricket side of stuff with me. He was just more or less making an assessment of where I am personally, off the field more or less, and how I feel about myself now compared to three years ago. So that was basically it, we just had a chit chat.

How seriously do you take your fitness level?

I'm pretty fit. Playing 11 straight weeks of cricket, you must be fit. I haven't been out for any injuries. I had a bit of knee problems but I don't think that stemmed from not being fit. Probably too much work on those particular areas, probably from running on hard surfaces, but I'm pretty ok.

What level do you get up to in the shuttle run?

I get up to 12. That was pretty good. [he looks pleased as punch]

If you weren't playing cricket, what else would you have been doing?

I went to college to study mechanical engineering but at the end of the day, I was blessed with the talent from the Almighty and all I ever wanted to do was to play cricket, but still, after cricket you need something to fall back on so it was nice that I completed that course.

Which college was that?

St Kitts-Nevis Technical College. It's like a sixth form. It was a two year course and I got a diploma.

So after you finish playing cricket, is that an area that you would go into, or would you go into coaching?

The possibility is that maybe I might fall back on that, seeing that I have it so maybe, you never know what could come up, but I really love working with kids as well so probably. I'm not too certain but I'm going to have to make up my mind soon because I don't have much longer, you know, time flying fast.[said tongue in cheek]

Look at Ridley...he's 37!

Probably my body wouldn't stand up as long as that but I'll give it a good try.[he chuckles]

Any more children?

No. Just one beautiful baby. No more right now. Me and my wife have a little diamond right now and she is a handful by her self.

And it sounds like her father spoils her.

She's our life so I have to live for her, and that's why I have to make the right decisions.

So would you advise all cricketers who may get into a spot of bother to surround themselves with love, surround themselves with whatever makes them happy?

Well love always heals the pain. What works for me won't work for some in terms of married life but whatever they see works for them, just give it a shot, but the change has to come from within as well.