Shai Hope and his road to everlasting greatness

He is a treasure who needs to be looked after with care. Shai Hope is easily the biggest asset to the West Indian side at the moment, and will even qualify as one of the greatest West Indian batsmen of the modern era. And, on 10th March 2021, the right-hander scored a classy 133-ball 110 to help his side coast to an 8-wicket victory over Sri Lanka in the first ODI.

What makes Hope a visual treat is his balance and his ability to score all-round the ground. His elegance endears him to the viewer, and his consistency makes him a lethal weapon in his side’s armory.

Shai Hope’s classy innings at Antigua

Hope played an important role in West Indies’ victory over Sri Lanka in the first ODI at Antigua. The visitors batted first and posted 232 runs on the board. While the target was not such a menacing one, it was not a cakewalk either. And, the West Indies needed their opening batsmen to give them a good start. And, that is exactly what Hope did.

The 27-year-old started his innings in a sizzling fashion, by flicking the first delivery that he faced past mid-wicket for a boundary. Off the last ball of the 4th over, Hope played a stunning cover drive. The ball was pitched up by Dushmantha Chameera and the right-hander got onto the front foot and threaded the gap through the off side for a boundary.

When Nuwan Pradeep pitched one on the middle stump, Hope once again got his wrists into play and flicked him through the leg side for a boundary. And then, came the shot that highlights the kind of talent that the West Indian has. To a flighted delivery from spinner Kamindu Mendis, Hope lunged onto the front foot and drove the ball with the turn through the off-side past cover. The opening batsman got to his fifty with another glorious boundary past mid-off and raised his bat to the dressing room.

Then, came a glorious flick from Hope off the bowling of Pradeep. The ball swung in, and Hope just flicked the white cherry nonchalantly past deep mid-wicket and the ball thudded into the advertising hoardings. And finally, the moment arrived. To a flighted delivery from Lakshan Sandakan, Hope pushed the ball towards Long On to bring up his 10th ODI hundred.

But then, Hope’s classical knock drew to a close after he failed to read a leg cutter from Dushmantha Chameera. The ball pitched on the middle stump and moved away a fraction, and Hope’s stumps were shattered. And, by the time he departed, he had put his side in the driver’s seat.

Shai Hope in the pantheon of West Indian batting greats

Hope has played just 79 ODIs, but can rightfully occupy a place in the pantheon of West Indian batting greats in ODI cricket. In the table below, let us take a look at all the West Indian batsmen who have scored over 3000 runs in ODI cricket.

From the above table, we can see that Hope’s numbers in ODI cricket make him tower over some of the legends of West Indian cricket. He is the only West Indian batsman to average over 50 and also scored 3000 runs as well in ODIs. Also, among the batsmen mentioned above, he has the best innings per fifty-plus score ratio in the ODI format.

Hope scores in excess of fifty once every 2.74 innings. And, the man who comes closest to this is the legendary Sir Vivian Richards, and he accumulated a fifty-plus score once every 2.98 innings. Hope has a better fifty-plus score ratio than all-time greats like Brian Lara, Chris Gayle, Gordon Greenidge, and Desmond Haynes.

Shai Hope and his road to greatness

It will not be wrong to say that Hope is well on his way to becoming one of the greatest batsmen ever produced by the West Indian side, especially in the ODI format.  He is just 27 years old and has a long road ahead of him. And, if he can continue in the same vein, he can lead West Indian cricket to greater heights in the future. And finally, Hope is indeed West Indies’ hope.