Ahead of the historic Test series amid the COVID-19 pandemic, West Indies batsman Shai Hope has admitted his dismal Test record, but he is now aiming to improve his numbers by providing his team good starts during next month's three-match series against England.
He has been West Indies’ key batting mainstay in the ODI cricket, scoring 3289 runs at 52.2 in 78 ODIs so far, but the 26-year-old from Barbados’ has managed just 1498 runs in 31 Tests at an average of 27.23.
Hope's twin hundreds at Headingley in 2017 helped the Windies secure a surprise victory over England are his only three-figure scores in the longest format.
However, the right-hander has backed himself that he has the capability to deliver exceptional displays and achieve a "turnaround" in his Test career, as the West Indies star is hoping to improve his numbers in the format in the upcoming Test series against England.
Hope said over Zoom conference call from Old Trafford: “You're going to be hard on yourself, especially when you know that you can get something done and it's not really portraying on your stats card. My runs and stats aren't exactly where I want them to be but I'm working towards that.”
The wicket-keeper batsman further added, “I just have to continue believing in myself and back my ability because I know I can get it done. The key is to make sure that I take use of these opportunities and do whatever I can to make the team win.”
He also insisted that “red ball is my favorite part of the game” but struggled to explain the difference between his Test and ODI performances over the years.
Hope added, “It's probably more of a mental thing. You just get out more in Test cricket, it seems. Hopefully, I can turn it around in this series and move on from there.”
He also believes that the West Indies will miss the service of the batting duo of Darren Bravo and Shimron Hetmyer – both refused to travel to England due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Hope signed off by saying, “We're missing a few key players so it's very important for us as top-order batters to get those runs on the board, especially in the first part of the game. (We have to) make sure we see off the new ball and make it easier for the batters coming down the line. As soon as you get those starts, you've got to make sure you capitalize and go big for the side.”
(With AFP Inputs)
