LEGACY SECURE

THOUGH KRAIGG Brathwaite did not start in a West Indies line-up for the first time in forever when the West Indies got the ball rolling in the third Test of their series against Australia at Sabina Park yesterday, and a string of poor results may mean his place as an opening batsman in the regional team will have to be vacated, the Barbadian’s legend is secure.

The photograph still hangs in his home.

A young man, barely 18, clutches his first Test cap with wide-eyed wonder and excitement.

Former Test captain Sir Richie Richardson handed it to him in St Kitts along with some words of advice and as the recipient, Brathwaite, returned to his hotel that evening, he was almost in disbelief.

What none of the players present that day, including his former captain and now coach Daren Sammy, could have imagined, was that this modest teenager from Barbados carried a goal so ambitious it bordered on the absurd.

Fourteen years after his debut, Grenada hosted his 100th Test match, Brathwaite’s dream, first hatched as a 14-year-old, stood triumphantly against the test of time.

“I set that goal when I was probably 14 years old – to play 100 Tests. Now I’m here, 18 years later, playing for West Indies. I’m very thankful, and I just want to be an inspiration, for younger guys to follow,” he shared.

“I didn’t want to just be another player – I wanted to make an impact.”

On his debut Brathwaite recalled, “It was pure excitement. Being in the team I would have been around for the first Test in Guyana, which I didn’t play in.”

“Going into my first game playing, and with my father coming in, there was a lot of excitement around it. It was a great experience for me against a decent Pakistan team. It gave me an idea of what Test cricket was at that moment and how fit you have to be, especially as an opener.”

“It was a tremendous experience. Getting my first runs with a boundary through backward point and seeing my father celebrate like it was a 100, that was very touching and special for me.”

It may be hard to believe after 100 Tests, but Kraigg’s well-known hard-nosed determination and self-belief wasn’t immediate.

“I wanted to play for the West Indies from young – but I wasn’t sure I could do it on the big stage. As I played more, the belief came that I could get this job done,” the former Test skipper revealed.

“Pretty much, from my second or third game, I had the belief that I could do it.”

His maiden century against New Zealand in 2014 was another turning point in his growing self-confidence.

“My first 100 against New Zealand was a feeling I can’t really describe. I didn’t believe that I would have been that close to a Test century, and then getting it, I could not believe that I scored 100 for West Indies. That really meant a lot and helped me going forward, to know that I can get it done.”

“New Zealand was a young team at the time. They were doing very good things and to get it against them, I felt proud. That gave me the belief that I could get the job done.”

CAREER BEST

A couple of months after his maiden ton, he crafted 212 against Bangladesh, a score which remains his career best. Two years on of playing his best cricket, he carried his bat to an unbeaten 142 against Pakistan in Sharjah and helped his team to victory.

“Sharjah was special, because as an opener, especially now, I always want to be there at the end and win games for the team. Sometimes you feel like being there at the end helps the team win,” the batsman opined.

While Brathwaite’s game has evolved, his core values remain discipline and purpose.

“I didn’t have a lot of scoring shots early on, but I’ve worked on my driving, my cut shot and I always practice with a plan. I believe that’s especially important in red-ball cricket.”

His proudest chapter as Test captain came in 2021, as he led a young West Indies side to a famous 2-0 series win in Bangladesh. However, it was the long-awaited win in Australia early last year that meant the most.

“To go to Bangladesh with a young, inexperienced team and win that series two-nil, for me, was very special and emotional,” he shared.

“Playing against Australia throughout my career and early on, we never beat them, and I think we drew one or two games. I remember sitting down in the dressing room in Jamaica after we got beaten and I said to myself, I would love to beat Australia, at least before I finish playing. At the time, it just felt like they were winning everything.”

Brathwaite is just one of 10 West Indians to play 100 Tests.

At the top of the list of most games for the West Indies stands Shivnarine Chanderpaul at 164 Tests.

Below him, the who’s who of Test cricket: Courtney Walsh (132), Brian Lara (130), Sir Vivian Richards (121), Desmond Haynes (116), Clive Lloyd (110), Gordon Greenidge (108), Chris Gayle (103), and Carl Hooper (102).

The achievement, Brathwaite said, comes on account of setting goals.

“Whatever it may be, from a young age you can set your goals and targets that you want to achieve in life,” he stated plainly.

“Work hard throughout the tough times and the good times. Stay disciplined and never take it for granted.”

The journey from his first-class debut at 16 to becoming the West Indies’ 290th Test cricketer, has been extraordinary.

From Erdiston Primary to Combermere’s cricket cages and cricket’s grandest stages, Brathwaite’s career has been one defined by patience, persistence and pride.

Those characteristics have brought with it 5,950 runs, 12 centuries, 31 half centuries, at an average of 32.51.

CWI Media

West Indies players with more than 100 Tests

Shivnarine Chanderpaul (164)

Courtney Walsh (132)

Brian Lara (130)

Sir Vivian Richards (121)

Desmond Haynes (116)

Clive Lloyd (110)

Gordon Greenidge (108)

Chris Gayle (103)

Carl Hooper (102)

Kraigg Brathwaite (100)