Brathwaite, 17, boasts an impressive 83.75 average for the West Indies at the ICC Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand after four half-centuries in five matches.
“I have modelled my game on West Indies top order bat, Shivnarine Chanderpaul,” he said from the team hotel in New Zealand on Tuesday in a WICB web site story.
Brathwaite has a simple method to his batting: “I keep my eyes on the ball and limit high-risk strokes”, he said, much like the left-handed Chanderpaul, the 2008 ICC Cricketer of the Year, who has 8,669 Test runs — including 21 centuries — in 123 matches. The slim right-hander also believes his help comes from above. “Before I go to bat I pray. While I’m batting I also say a prayer and ask that I get the strength to bat and bat and so well for the team. It is something I always do. It’s nothing new,” Brathwaite added. The young Barbadian also credited his success to the guidance he has received from his school coach Roddy Estwick.
“My Combermere School coach Roddy Estwick, who is here with us as West Indies assistant coach, is the man – my school is really supportive and has a rich cricketing tradition.” Brathwaite said.
West Indies legends Sir Frank Worrell and Wes Hall both attended Combermere.
With 335 runs so far in the ICC Youth World Cup, Brathwaite is the current No.2 batsman in the tournament behind South African Dominic Hendricks, who has played one game more for 391 runs.
Brathwaite hit a topscore of 92 not out against Pakistan in the first round. His other good scores have been 85 against Pakistan in their losing semi-final match; 69 against England in the quarter-final; and 82 against Papua New Guinea in the first round.
He has one more innings to play in the third-place play-off against Sri Lanka tomorrow (Tonight Caribbean Time) at the Village Green at Queen Elizabeth Park in Christchurch.
“I should have made four hundreds so far,” Brathwaite said. “I had the chance to do it every time. I have been batting well, but I should have made a century. The team needed a hundred on a few occasions so I have to make sure if I get in that zone in the third placed match I convert,” he added.
Brathwaite, who has already scored 41 centuries at varying levels of school, junior, regional youth and domestic first division cricket, explained that he has an insatiable appetite for batting which accounts for his record of long innings and high volume of runs.
“I just like batting. I like to bat and bat and bat. There is no secret to my concentration levels – I don’t like getting out so I bat.”
Brathwaite also puts a big part of his success down to the support of his family.
“My family have played a big part in my cricket, my dad, Arleigh, my sister, my aunts and uncles – every Saturday I play they are always there to support me. My grandparents also, they have told me to put my trust in God and everything will come true.”
Brathwaite expressed disappointment over the young Windies’ four-wicket loss to Pakistan on Monday in the first ICC U19 semi-final but pledged the team’s determination to win the third-place play-off later this week, when they face the Sri Lankans.
“Everyone was disappointed after we lost that match. We really came here believing that we could win the tournament and it was hard to lose at that stage.
“On the positive side, we now have the third-place match and it would be good to go out there and win that one. We have been receiving a lot of kind words from fans and we are happy to get such good support. We want all the fans to know that we are playing for them and we are doing our best,” Brathwaite said.
