As West Indies rolled over Bangladesh to post successive home Test series victories this year, lots of fans would have been happier with Shimron Hetmyer being part of the triumphant squad.
Despite not playing a test match since 2019, the swashbuckling batsman’s high-profile reputation in the game’s shorter formats has developed a yearning among fans to enjoy his talent in the longer Test competition
Since the departure of Shivnarine Chanderpaul and Ramnaresh Sarwan, following Carl Hooper’s exit not too long prior, Guyanese have hungered for star representation in Windies colours especially in Tests, still considered the most prestigious of the lot in determining greatness.
When Hetmyer announced his arrival with success captaining West Indies Under-19 to the World Cup title in 2016, he became an instant fan favourite and it thought the drought was about to end.
It helped that the happy-go-lucky teenager who wore his heart on his sleeve, developed a leadership style which seemed to get the best out of his players.
Nevertheless, when he was catapulted to Test competition it surprised the player himself.
Then, after plundering five One Day International centuries before age 25, the Berbician was deemed good-to-go as his fan base exploded.
But after a mere five years, it is quite pertinent to ask….does Hetmyer really want Test glory? Does he desire walking in the footsteps of his illustrious compatriots and become a great in the longer format, which the likes of (Rohan) Kanhai, (Clive) Lloyd, (Roy) Fredericks and the above mentioned trio of the more recent past did, piling up centuries.
And if it is wrong to assume he is not inclined, it is important to note the pattern of his absences from West Indies appearances is unique among his peers around the world.
His latest hiatus from the lineup that toured Pakistan within the last few weeks for limited overs action was his third thumbs-down to the team in two years.
It is a development that is wearing on the nerves, and with no budding young star on the horizon, fans here continue to hope.
If Hetmyer’s fear of the Corona virus could be seen as justifiable cause not to join Jason Holder and company to England for the first contested series among all teams in the sport following the outbreak in 2020, then to not make the original Pakistan tour later in 2021 and Bangladesh was head scratching.
Just as jarring is the fitness tests issue that caused him to miss more playing time in “white ball” competition which the young man seems clearly more attracted to.
Add the paternity leave issue which saw the team suffering its latest ODI away whitewash series defeat at the hands of Pakistan, Hetmyer gave himself generous time off compared to the norm among modern-day players. It was after he left the IPL for the actual birth then returned to India to conclude the tournament, then announced he wanted more time off thus missing the Pakistan trip.
It was after fans’ hopes shot skywards when the lefthander accepted selection for the Guyana trials late last year and went on to bat for five hours at Albion. And even if he did not bother the scorers much in the two subsequent Regional four-day competition, it was fair to assume the youngster was about to dig in for a shot at the longest format, unlike the mindset of Kieron Pollard, whose priorities were elsewhere, not to mention the other well liked batsman Nicolas Pooran.
Now, as he indulges in fulltime babysitting chores, as his long-lost teammates bring out the champagne in St Lucia, we’re left to ponder when again Hetmyer will be seen in his maroon outfit or cap.
If it’s all about the money for the Cumberland, East Berbice product, without any thought of international competition, being near the top of his priority list, Hetmyer’s popularity is bound to slump regionally.
Yes, the millions he has earned so far playing in the IPL are as gargantuan as they come for Guyanese sportsmen. By an Australian mile, Hetmyer is the highest earning Guyanese celebrity. Twenty years ago and it would’ve been unimaginable, having cricketers pocketing US million-dollar cheques like him and Romario Shepherd, the latest millionaire are doing. Then, Allen Stanford busted open the purse strings with his defunct Stanford T20 series in 2006 with the Indians now taking it to another level.
If Hetmyer is okay being famous only as a finisher in T20s, it would be another massive letdown.
Those types are not as valuable as the batsman on top of the order who is drafted to put up the big half centuries.
If Rajasthan Royals are to choose between Hetmyer and Josh Butler it’s a no-brainer, the latter will get the nod.
Also the loyalty aspect in cricket is important in more ways than one these days as while the money is good now it could dry up in a hurry if Hetmyer loses form and eventually his IPL demand value.
To restore his brand he will have to revert back to the Windies setup to rebuild it which provided him the opportunity In the first instance to break into the world’s most lucrative cricket competition.,
And, like it is in India, the West Indies and every place else, without fans there’s no game.
Thus its important Hetmyer take every opportunity to get back into the Windies groove for the fans sake.
Rashid Khan is one of the world’s most valuable leg spinners yet he never finds personal reasons to avoid Afghanistan duty. Other greats in sport like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are always patriotic to national football team responsibilities, despite cashing in hundreds of millions from clubs over the years.
West Indies might be many moons way from contesting the World Test final, but the next T20 World Cup, less than six months away will have regional representation.
As it stands fans shouldn’t have to roll the dice on the possibility of Hetmyer playing roles in the buildup to either competition.
