Carlos Brathwaite says has learnt a lot from West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose © AFP
Carlos Brathwaite turned heads at the Indian Premier League (IPL) players' auction last month. In what was arguably the most surprising buy, Delhi Daredevils outbid Kolkata Knight Riders to acquire the services of the West Indian for a staggering Rs 4.2 crore, which was 14 times his base price of Rs 30 lakh.
IPL-9 is still a month away, but the 27-year-old allrounder will get ample chances to showcase his skills in front of Indian fans in the World T20, which got underway with the qualification round on Tuesday (March 8). "It feels good to be selected for the IPL... I want to thank Delhi Daredevils for giving me this opportunity and hope to do well for them. But I don't want to look too far ahead," said Brathwaite during the players' session with the media on Tuesday.
"The World Cup is of prime importance now. I have an important role in the team and want to concentrate on that," said the Barbadian.
Having made his international debut in 2011, Brathwaite got to play just an One Day International (ODI) and a Twenty20 International (T20I) during the tour of Bangladesh before being dropped. He had to wait nearly four years to play another game for West Indies. And he has made quite an impact in his second stint, scoring half-centuries in both the Test matches he played against Australia recently.
A hard-hitting lower-order batsman and a handy back-up pacer, Brathwaite has learnt a lot from West Indies bowling coach Curtly Ambrose. "Ambrose is a legend, he has been great so far. It is up to us to pick his brains and learn more. He has had a huge impact in the dressing room."
Senior pro Denesh 'Shotter' Ramdin, one of eight players who helped the West Indies lift the 2012 World T20 crown, is keen to share his vast experience with the younger players in their common goal to claim the coveted trophy. "I think I have a very important role in the team. Both in terms of my duties behind the stumps and holding the lower order together. There are a lot of power hitters ahead as well as behind me. I will use the experience that I have gained in the last 10 years to guide my team," Ramdin said.
Like his captain Darren Sammy, Ramdin felt the West Indies are well suited to excel in the T20 format. "The West Indies players have been in great demand in various T20 leagues across the world. We have seven-eight of them who are all match winners and I have no doubt that we can go all the way."
Test and ODI captain Jason Holder felt it won't be difficult for T20 skipper Sammy to steer the team, despite the fact that this group hasn't played too much cricket together as a unit for West Indies. "It shouldn't be difficult. We have guys who have played with or against each other in the T20 leagues, we understand each other well. We have had a very good camp in Dubai, won all four games there, so we are all set for this tournament," he said.
The experience of leading West Indies in Tests and ODIs has helped Holder develop as a cricketer. "It has opened my mind to think a little more. I have known these people for some time now, so I just try to communicate and get the job done. I am still pretty young and finding my feet. There are so many players helping me in my journey," Holder said.
© TNN
No comments:
Post a Comment