Bridgetown, Barbados – Andre Fletcher says he is working overtime at the Sagicor High Performance Centre and that hard work is paying dividends. The right-hander, with 15 ODIs and 16 T20 Internationals under his belt, joined the West Indies Cricket Board’s developmental programme in May in a bid to rebuild his game, get consistent playing time, and rediscover the passion for cricket.
As he approaches his 25th birthday on November 28, the fun-loving Grenadian believes he has found his footing and is an overall "better player with a better understanding of batting and a better team man".
"I believe I have improved a lot on the technical side of my game. I identified my faults and I have spent hours and hours in the nets trying to iron out the flaws and then looking at ways to improve. I have also looked at my strengths and to better my strong areas," he said.
Fletcher added that he has learnt a lot when it comes to the mental aspect of the game as well.
"I still try to play my natural game, but I have started to take on more responsibility and to always focus on the position that the team is in. I would say Sagicor High Performance Centre has done a lot for me so far. I think I’m reading the game a lot better. Before I would go in and no matter the situation I would go for shots, and that often led to my downfall."
He added: "I took a look at myself and where I was going and made a decision to take ownership and responsibility for my personal performance and the overall outcome of the team. I am the most experienced player in the group, having played for the West Indies before, so I recognised I had to do some things better. I also had some challenges with my grip and I have managed to sort that out, and now I would say I am more balanced at the crease and I’m hitting the ball better on both the off-side and the on-side. When I go to bat I look to spend time in the middle rather than look to force the runs. When you spend the time the runs will come."
On the field Fletcher has shown improvement. He notched a century on the tour of Bangladesh in September and also blazed an unbeaten 121 against some of his housemates as the Sagicor HPC played a two-day exhibition match at 3Ws Oval earlier this week. He believes he is in good form and wants to carry on when he turns out for Grenada in the annual Windward Islands Tournament next month. This will form part of the preparation for the Caribbean T20 to be played at Queen’s Park Oval, Trinidad and Beausejour Stadium, St Lucia from January 6 to 20.
"I will look to score big. It is about getting the scores so people will take notice again. I have the opportunity to start for Grenada in the Windwards tournament and I will also look to play a significant role for Windwards in the Caribbean T20. After that there is the Regional Four-day tournament and that will present the opportunity to build long innings and show that I have the skill and capability at the first-class level," said Fletcher, who has made four first-class centuries and 13 half-centuries in 44 matches.
"I wouldn’t say I fell out of love with cricket, but having been given a chance in the West Indies team and not performing, that dampened my spirit a bit. I expected a lot to happen for me but it didn’t. I am happy that I was offered a spot at the Sagicor HPC programme and that has helped me a lot.
"I was happy to come here. You never stop learning in life. It has given me the chance to play consistently, to train in good facilities, to work alongside the others who have become my friends and to get quality advice. I believe I am a better play with a better understanding. I’m slowing working my way back and my ambition is to get back to the top and make it count."
UPCOMING MATCHES
Friday, November 23 – 50 overs
Sagicor HPC1 vs Sagicor HPC2 – 9:30 am
Sunday, November 25 – Twenty20
Sagicor HPC1 vs Sagicor HPC2 – 1 pm
Sunday, November 25 – Twenty 20
Sagicor HPC 1 vs Sagicor HPC 2 – 6 pm