West Indies' T20 star Carlos Brathwaite wants Test cricket to be protected

Nick Purewal 11:23 01/06/2018
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  • West Indies captain Carlos Brathwaite has told cricket bosses to keep on innovating – but also to fight to protect the Test-match format.

    Brathwaite led the West Indies to a 72-run victory over the World XI at Lord’s in the Hurricane Relief Twenty20 Challenge on Thursday night.

    While Samuel Badree’s early double-wicket maiden set the West Indies en route to a convincing win, Nasser Hussain was commentating for Sky Sports from within the field of play as the action unfolded.

    Brathwaite hailed cricket’s continued attempts to innovate, but insisted the traditional Test format must remain central to the sport’s future.

    “I didn’t see him Nasser much, honestly,” said Brathwaite. “For me it wasn’t a massive distraction.

    “But hopefully people enjoyed it and it will help draw more people into cricket. Things happen so quickly now, and we have to move with the times and grow and evolve the sport.

    “It may work, it may not, but we’ve tried something, and that’s important. Let’s see what we can do, because sometimes you never know what will be the new innovation that will catch on.

    “Firstly I’d like to see the Test format stay as it is. I don’t know whether that’s financially viable, but I think the Test nations have to work to make that
    stay and be the case.

    “But the game and the world is changing, and the sport has to grow with that. At the same time though, the challenge of Test cricket remains the ultimate.”

    Evin Lewis’ 58 from 26 balls set the tone for the West Indies’ 199 for four, with Marlon Samuels contributing 43 and Denesh Ramdin 44 not out for the reigning ICC World Twenty20 champions.

    Badree and Andre Russell then left the World XI’s reply in tatters as they took two early wickets apiece to leave their opponents on eight for four.

    Sri Lankan Thisara Perera tried to stage a recovery with 61 off 37 balls but he was the only player from the World XI line-up to score more than 12.

    And, with Tymal Mills unable to bat, the World XI’s challenge ended when Mitchell McClenaghan became the ninth wicket to fall with the score on 127.

    The match was held to raise funds to help rebuild stadia in Anguilla and Dominica ravaged by Hurricanes Irma and Maria in September 2017.

    World XI skipper Shahid Afridi donated $20,000 to Hurricane Relief from his foundation, while all the players donated their match fees to the charity.

    Brathwaite hopes this clash could turn into an annual fixture, but hailed all involved for raising vital funds for the Caribbean.

    “For those affected by the hurricanes, there have been people left homeless, and have had their lives devastated,” he said.

    “So it’s important for those of us who can to be able to use our profile for the greater good. Hopefully there will be a psychological boost for the communities, as well as obviously the money going into rebuilding, and infrastructure and all those kinds of things.”

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