Carlos Brathwaite hailed Shai Hope as world-class after his unbeaten 45-ball century helped West Indies chase 250 against India in the second T20I.
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West Indies skipper Shai Hope (Photo: IANS)
Former West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite has praised captain Shai Hope for his outstanding century against India in the second T20I, saying the batter deserves greater recognition for his consistent performances over the years.
Hope smashed an unbeaten century off just 45 balls to help West Indies chase down 250 runs and secure a six-wicket victoryThe win levelled the five-match T20I series 1-1 after India had taken the lead in the opening match.
Speaking to ANI on the sidelines of the World Championship of Legends (WCL) Season 3, Brathwaite described Hope as a world-class player and said cricket fans across the globe were finally appreciating his contribution to West Indies cricket.
‘Shai Hope definitely is world-class’: Brathwaite
Brathwaite believes Hope has been performing at a high level for several years but has not always received the attention he deserves outside the Caribbean.
“Shai Hope has been phenomenal for several yearsI think he has more international centuries in India than Shreyas Iyer, someone who I think is bordering on world-classI think Shai Hope definitely is world-class, and I think what we know in the Caribbean, people around the world are now appreciating and acknowledging, maybe because it is in India, the biggest market,” Brathwaite said.
Hope’s latest hundred was his third century against India during the ongoing tour, following two hundreds in the ODI seriesBrathwaite said fans should recognise the batter’s consistency instead of treating his big scores as routine performances.
“I’m glad to see that his star that we in the Caribbean love and appreciate and adore is now being appreciated and adored worldwide as wellSo, fantastic knock by him, and I think sometimes we probably think it’s another run-of-the-mill day for the sensational Shai Hope, but we do need to take a step back and appreciate how good he has been, for how long he has been this good as well,” he added.
Brathwaite points to batter-friendly T20 pitches
When asked about India’s bowling and fielding during the defeat, Brathwaite highlighted how difficult it has become for bowlers to contain batters in modern T20 cricketHe felt teams should not be judged too harshly when pitches offer little help to the bowling side.
“PitchesI think it’s quite difficult now to appreciate run scoring because you got T20 games where people score 240 and it being chased downI do love a good 160, 170 where bowlers have a little bit of the rub of the green, but now it just seems to be bowling machines versus battersSo to be honest, you can’t look at any one team and say the bowlers are that bad because there’s no assistance,” he said.
Shubman Gill’s double century also gets a mention
Brathwaite compared West Indies’ successful chase with India’s remarkable batting display in the second ODIShubman Gill had scored an unbeaten 223 as India chased down a target of 406.
“With that being said, and I mean when India chased down 400, there’s not much you could have said about the West Indies bowlingYou just appreciated the centuries, especially the double from Shubman Gill during the second ODISo, when West Indies chased 250, I don’t want to look into the Indian dressing room and say they could have done something right or wrong,” the 38-year-old said.
Brathwaite urges fans to celebrate West Indies cricket
Brathwaite also praised Sherfane Rutherford and Romario Shepherd for their contributions and highlighted the team’s fighting spirit during a challenging tour.
“I just want to appreciate Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, and just a never-say-die attitude from the West IndiesBeen a difficult tour, on and off the fieldA lot of reports from back home financially, and to keep the resilience that they’ve shown so far, putting in the performances that they have, scoring 400 in the second ODI, winning the third ODI and then losing the first T20I before bouncing back with a memorable win in the second T20ISo we need to celebrate West Indies cricket,” Brathwaite signed off.
India and West Indies will meet in the third T20I on Sunday, with both teams looking to take the lead in the series.
