West Indies’ newly-appointed Test captain Kraigg Brathwaite was very “proud” and “happy” to be given the opportunity to lead the country in the traditional format of the game, saying it was a “privilege” for him to take over from the veteran all-rounder Jason Holder.
Cricket West Indies made the 28-year-old Test captain after having impressed with his leadership qualities in their recent tour of Bangladesh where players like Kyle Mayers and Rakheem Cornwall shone in the absence of high-profile players including Holder, who led the team in 37 Tests since 2015.
As reported by Cricbuzz on Monday, Brathwaite said: “I just want to thank god for giving me this opportunity, and also want to say I thought Jason Holder did a superb job leading the Test team for the last five years, so obviously taking over from him is a privilege. I was very happy [to be made captain], obviously very proud, and I look forward to the challenge.”
He further added, “Well, I really enjoyed that Bangladesh tour. For me, I just made sure I let the guys know, to believe in themselves and believe in their ability. I've played youth cricket with most of those guys, and if not, first-class cricket for a number of years, so I know the ability they have.
Just assured them that they can do it. Just trust in your plans and believe in them, and prepare well. The word attitude is always key, and I thought we did that well, and it's important for us as a team to continue that same attitude.”
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Brathwaite's first assignment as a full-time Test captain will be against Sri Lanka with the home Test series starting on March 21. Well, he hasn’t scored a Test hundred in his last 17 Test outings and he is working on his balance against the fast bowlers to come good with the bat.
He signed off by saying, “The more you're balanced, the better your shots, and that was something important for me. I also went about planning even better, in terms of how I want to go about my innings, and topping up on power.
But mainly getting my balance in order, and backing yourself. You always have plans, and it's to really trust them, that was the key for me. Planning was very very important.”
