As Europe Division 2 fast approaches, I had the opportunity to speak to Jamie Farmiloe. Having come through the junior setup of Cricket Belgium, Jamie is a stalwart of the Belgian middle order. In my interview with the young batsman, I had the opportunity to ask him about Division 3, Belgium’s preparation for Division 2, his father’s election to the ICC Board and more.

So Jamie, first things first, congratulations for earning promotion from Division 3. What was the overwhelming feeling amongst the squad?

Yes, we had some new faces in the squad and we still managed to win the tournament. Although we were a bit lucky though in the end. It was a good feeling after how badly we did last year, it feels like a new start!

Yes, that last game against Spain must have been nerve-racking, were you aware of the permutations during the game?

We vaguely knew what we needed to do, but not exactly. At the end of the first innings both teams thought that Spain would have to chase the target within 18 or 19 overs. But no one knew exactly. In the end we won by a couple of balls. (Spain needed to win in 17.2 overs, but eventually won in 17.5) After the match Spain thought they had won. It was only after the calculations that we realised we had won by 2 or 3 balls. It was really really close!

That must have been incredibly nerve-racking. The squad must have been incredibly relieved. Given the talent in the squad, do you think that you guys should get back into Division 1?

Over the past few years we have beaten the sides in division 2 on a regular basis, so why can’t we do it again this year? But at the same time we have to play every match game by game and avoid being overconfident. It is important that we respect our opponents and don`t underestimate them.

So looking forward to Division 2, how do you rate your chances? Would you consider yourselves favourites?

I think other people think we are favourites. I do rate our chances, but lets see what happens! Cricket is a funny game. As I said, we need to take it step by step.

And which of the other teams pose the greatest threat in your opinion?

To be honest I don’t care about the other teams! Like I said: we have to take it game by game, it doesn't matter who the opponent is, we just have to stick to the basics. I guess Norway and Austria will be the strongest, although Norway are a bit of an unknown quantity.

Moving onto the Belgium Squad: The inclusion of your new captain Brighton Watambwa has caused a stir. What does he bring to the group?

He is a very good cricketer, he has lots of experience from playing around the world at the highest level. It is a great opportunity for the youngsters coming in. He shows us what it takes to make it. Importantly he shows a lot of confidence in us as players.

And how much fun is it facing him in the nets? He is pretty fast!

It is a challenge facing him! Facing someone bowling 85 miles an hour isn't nothing! But it is great for the development of our batsmen. We aren't often exposed to that sort of pace, so we are learning a huge amount.

And he opened towards the end of Division 3, is that something which he will continue doing?

The possibility is there. He is a strong man that can hit the ball a long way and it might be interesting given the field restrictions. But that is up to the captain and coaching staff.

The reliable Abdul Rehman had an awesome tournament as well. He was batting further down the order this year than in previous tournaments, do you think this suits his style?

I do think so, it is nice to have a hard hitting batsman like that in the end. He doesn't need a lot of time to get his eye in.

He's no fun to bowl at, that’s for sure!

Haha you just need to know where to bowl mate!

Well don’t give away too many secrets!

Don’t worry, I won’t!

Leaving the current national team, I want to take this opportunity to talk to you about age group representative cricket. The first time that we played against one another was back in 2009 when France U19 played Belgium U19. How important has junior cricket been in getting you to where you are today?

Of course it has been instructive playing youth cricket for Belgium. Having the opportunity to play in different countries, make lots of friends and test yourself against the best players from around Europe. During my time as a junior, Fazil Mahmood was particularly influential. Importantly he instilled a work ethic in the group of youngsters. That probably explains why there are so many former U19s in the squad. I feel I developed more playing in Holland (Jamie plays for VOC) and working with Jack Richards (former England test cricketer).

Could you tell me about your work with Jack Richards?

I've been working on playing with the full face of the bat, ensuring that I am playing in the V. I have also been focusing on the mental part of batting, and developing game plans against different sorts of bowlers.

And how did the opportunity come about?

He lives in Belgium. He is the president of Antwerp CC, and he used to be involved with the national team.

Finally, Ken Farmiloe (your father) recently beat Keith Oliver in the election to the ICC Board, you must be incredibly proud.

Of course! He is very highly respected in the cricketing world. I know that he was determined to keep European cricket moving forward. Unfortunately he has had to withdraw since then. But yes, I am really proud of him.