#360view: The grand humility and respect of Brathwaite

Barnaby Read 18:54 22/09/2016
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  • Brathwaite pressed home his idea of respect.

    Respect.

    A word, alongside its preposition sibling, Carlos Brathwaite uses seven times inside the final 40 seconds of his first press conference in the UAE ahead of the T20I series against Pakistan.

    It is a noun Brathwaite uses freely but repeats only to drive his message home. It is certainly not a throwaway turn of phrase, the likes of which are so common in these situations as athletes turned media drones reel out clichés and avoid saying something that may later harm them when giving evidence.

    It is also a part of the vocabulary that has left the tongues of many when West Indies pop up in conversations unless to explain a lake thereof [another word used delightedly by West Indies players early on this tour].

    “That was my up [winning the World T20 in India] and I still have to respect the game of cricket. A big down could be on its way around the corner, I don’t know. So for me, it’s about staying humble, respecting the game of cricket, respecting the process, also respecting my team-mates. If I go out drinking, party, am not fully-fit and take all these things for granted and then come and give 80% when the other guys are putting in the extra work, that is disrespect for my team-mates as well. So, for me both as a cricketer and as a person it is about respecting the game, respecting life, respecting ups and downs and just staying humble.”

    The word and Brathwaite go hand-in-hand.

    The 6ft 4in hulk of a man blasted onto the scene and into our lives with four successive sixes off Ben Stokes to win the World T20 title for his country at Eden Gardens earlier this year.

    Overnight he became a household name, delivering one of the most memorable moments in the young life of Twenty20 cricket.

    It was not just his heroics in Kolkata that made him stand out, however.

    The following day, Brathwaite spoke to ESPN Cricinfo to call Stokes a legend and offer him his full support.

    He showed empathy and an understanding of the heartbreak that was an antonym to his side’s Champion celebrations that waltzed through India and only flirted with a hangover  once on home soil.

    “To Ben, tough luck last night, commiserations to you and the England team. Wish he has a long and successful career ahead of him.” That, is respect.

    It was not afforded by Brathwaite’s predecessor, Darren Sammy.

    In the aftermath of the West Indies’ win, Sammy hit out at Mark Nicholas, took on Shane Warne and savoured a scathing attack on his country’s cricketing board that he felt had let the now world champions down in every aspect.

    Sammy was sacked four months later in what he explained was a thirty-second phone call. It was a brief, ignominious end to his reign despite capturing two World T20 crowns.

    Three days later Brathwaite was in charge.

    “Brathwaite is one of the most talented players in the T20 format of the game and his humble and committed approach to the game can inspire young and upcoming players,” said West Indies chairman of selectors Courtney Browne at the time.

    It was a rare instance in recent memory when a WICB official got something right.

    In Brathwaite, they have a captain who represents a youthful new era but remains firmly rooted in his desire to breed respect both inside and out of the camp.

    He openly admits that he is learning on the job, and gave a candid appraisal of his new duties when addressing media in Dubai with humour, charm, authority and, above all, honesty.

    “The toughest transition is time, or lack thereof,” said Brathwaite about him and his young group of players adapting to their new roles. “There’s so many more things to contend with as captain, whether it be things with management, things with players or things with the media and the such. As a player, you concentrate on your own game, your skill set, your mental, your fitness. As a captain, you have that to do as well as other commitments with management and media. Once I can continue to improve my time management, leading the team shall become easier and easier as time goes on.”

    If Brathwaite is given the time and respect he deserves by those management heads he now finds himself in conversation with then there is no telling what West Indies cricket can do under his leadership.

    In his humility and respect for himself, his team-mates and the sport in his country so rich in cricketing history, there is much to be learned, least of all by the WICB.

    Carlos Brathwaite; Respect.

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