Bridgetown, Barbados – Allrounder Carlos Brathwaite is confident that he can spark a revival in the Barbados team as the former regional powerhouses look to win their first ever Caribbean T20 title.
The well-built six-footer is in his second season in the blue and yellow jersey and believes he has what it takes to be the "impact player" the Bajans are desperately looking for. According to the 23-year-old, he is willing to bat at "any number in the order", bowl "the first or last over, it doesn’t matter" and throw himself around in the outfield to save every run.
A bustling medium-pacer with a high action, Brathwaite has done well with the ball so far in the University of the West Indies T20 Festival, which is being used as a warm-up for the Caribbean T20. The Bajans will face Trinidad and Tobago in the Festival final on Friday night at the 3Ws Oval. He is also a capable power-hitter in the middle-order.
"The preparations have been spot on. We have spending a lot of time in the gym and in the nets. This is the best set-up I have seen in the Barbados team since I have been involved and once we keep our focus I believe we will have a very good chance of winning the Caribbean T20. As players, we are working really hard and everyone is supporting each other," Brathwaite said.
A virtual unknown 18 months ago, Brathwaite first played for Barbados a year ago in the Caribbean T20 2011 and has improved in a short space of time. He was picked for the West Indies team’s tour of Asia and made his international debut in Bangladesh in October.
"I think I improved a lot and gained a lot of knowledge about my game and the way the game is played at the highest level when I toured Dubai and Bangladesh with the West Indies team. I realise you have to hit your targets every ball, not just five balls out of the six … you have to do it consistently. If you miss your targets that can cost you and also cost the team in a major way. So I have been working hard at being more consistent with the ball," Brathwaite said.
"Last year I was new in the Barbados team and I played a supporting kind of role. This time around, instead of playing a supporting role I am hoping to play a significant role. I’m looking to be the stand-out player to bring glory to my country and start a new kind of winning era in Barbados cricket. We have the appetite to win and to bring back glory to Barbados cricket and this is great place to start by winning the Caribbean T20 title."
The West Indies Cricket Board’s Caribbean T20 tournament will be played at the Sir Vivian Richards Cricket Ground in Antigua and Kensington Oval in Barbados from January 9 to 22. Barbados will play in Group B alongside Jamaica, Combined Campuses and Colleges, Netherlands and English county team Sussex.