WI v IND | I have to reprogram my thinking in terms of batting, admits Carlos Brathwaite
Carlos Brathwaite admits that he needs to reprogram his thought process with the bat and repay the faith that his team have shown in developing his game with the bat. Brathwaite also called for a collective effort at the domestic level in order to produce consistency at the international stage.
Remember that nail-biting clash between West Indies and New Zealand at the World Cup? The one where the Windies who were stuttering at 164 for seven came as close as within five runs of a victory? The star of the latter half of that innings was none other than the man from Barbados. Brathwaite’s 82-ball 101 will perhaps go down as one of the finest centuries at a World Cup ever.
However, either side of that breathtaking performance, 31-year-old has barely made a contribution. He averages 16.4 in ODIs, and does even worse (14.8) in T20Is where he is the captain. Ahead of the third ODI against India, he was talking to reporters and admitted the faults in his own game.
"We are having a lot of honest conversations with the coaches and the staff and I think one thing that's kept me back is my fitness. I am working very, very hard in the past 12 to 14 months on my fitness. I think batting-wise I have to reprogram my thinking in thinking about hitting and swiping and batting properly. I think there has been a conscious effort for me to try to help the team as a batsman and a bowler and try to give myself the best chance for the team and try to help West Indies win cricket games," Brathwaite was quoted saying by ESPNCricinfo.
Brathwaite himself knows that for a lower-order batsman like him, time and deliveries to spare will be a luxury he will not often get. He admits that he needs to adapt quickly to whatever scenario he is put in to bat.
"The challenge for me is that that situation (the World Cup clash against the Kiwis) won't always present itself. Obviously, being at home, we have changed the combination a bit. There I played at seven , here at eight, nine or maybe seven - the thing I take away from that innings is the way I structured and built the innings which allowed me to kick off at the back end," he said.
Much like his poor run is the state where his time find themselves, especially in ODI cricket. The Windies have won two of their last 11 completed ODIs. On paper, it looks every bit a cause for the alarm bells to ring, however Brathwaite notes that the team is failing to seize the crucial moments.
"I don't think we are that far away. We just continue to miss key points in the game. If we look back at the World Cup, it is the same thing. If we look at the game the other day we weren't cruising, but we were in a good position, and then we lost three or four quick wickets. We are just missing a few key moments that could have turned one or two losses into wins and make us look a little better, give us a little momentum, and start to try to win series more consistently," Brathwaite said.
Talking about consistency, Brathwaite admits that it will not turn up out of the blue in the middle of international matches. He emphasised the need for a revolution in the domestic circuit.
"It's practice. It's conversation. If I am being brutally honest, there is not much we can change on the international tour. That is the challenge for the franchise to be able to do enough work, get enough information from the guys at the top. and start implementing stuff," Brathwaite added.
The hosts going into the third and final ODI knowing that they cannot win the series. However, they can still prevent a home-series defeat if they can cut down on the errors significantly. For Brathwaite, and his team, that is the driving factor on Wednesday as well.
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