Windies batsman offers Hope
Rising West Indies batting talent Shai Hope would prefer facing an angry fast bowler over a journalist any day of the week.
Media-shy Hope declined to be interviewed during their three-day tour opener against New Zealand A with a team spokesman saying he wanted to avoid the ‘‘limelight’’ ahead of the first test, starting in Wellington on Friday.
The 24-year-old Barbados native has done all his talking with the bat lately, coming of age on the West Indies’ past two overseas series in England and Zimbabwe.
He shot to prominence in August, becoming just the 10th West Indies batsman to score two centuries in the same test. Hope’s unbeaten 118 in the second dig, which followed on from 147 in the first innings, was instrumental in leading his side to an upset fivewicket victory over England at Headingley in Leeds.
Hope’s maturity, doggedness and composure in that performance was lauded across the cricket world. He was described as someone the West Indies could build their team around for the future and a reliable, calm figure in the crucial No 4 role.
It was the first time in the 127 years cricket had been played at Headingley someone had scored twin hundreds in a match. Not that Hope was getting too excited, telling British media: ‘‘We are test cricketers for a reason and we know we have the ability to perform’’.
Since that breakout showing, the right-hander has scored runs for fun. Hope hit 62 in the final test at Lord’s and was the West Indies’ top run-scorer in Zimbabwe, contributing 174 runs from three test innings at 87.
He warmed up for the two-test series against the Black Caps with a classy 110 against a decent New Zealand A attack, featuring Lockie Ferguson, Hamish Bennett, Logan van Beek, Jimmy Neesham and legspinner Todd Astle.
The Calypso Kings haven’t won a test in New Zealand since February,1995, as the West Indies belted the Kiwis by an innings and 322 runs in Wellington.
Cricket runs in the family with older brother, Kyle, also a top order batsman in the West Indies squad until he was dropped after the tour of Zimbabwe.
International cricket hasn’t always come easy for Hope, who received his test cap from Windies legend Clive Lloyd when he debuted against England in Bridgetown in 2015.
He endured a difficult start to his test career, scoring just 182 runs from his first 12 innings with a highest score of 36. His defining innings came in April at his Kensington Oval home in Bridgetown, making 90 against Pakistan.
West Indies captain Jason Holder told Stuff it was the knock Hope needed to kick-start his international career and he hasn’t looked back.
‘‘I think Shai is really coming into his own now. He had a breakthrough series in England. Prior to that, he basically struggled. It was a bit of a shuffle in terms of his batting position.
‘‘He now seems to have locked down that No 4 position, so he’s going to be crucial for us. Obviously, he’s carrying some form and doing really well for us in the recent past.’’
Hope attributes part of his ability to succeed in different batting conditions to his two years boarding at Bede’s Senior School in East Sussex, England, in 2011 and 2012, where he was on a scholarship.
As captain, Hope helped lead the school to two national Twenty20 finals and scored close to a thousand runs in his two seasons.
Since the retirement of veteran Shivnarine Chanderpaul and with Marlon Samuels and Darren Bravo turning down central contracts, the West Indies have been desperate for a dependable top order batsman.
In Hope, they may have just found their answer.