Shamarh Brooks
At 31 years old, Shamarh Brooks is playing in just his second Test, but he will not allow that late start to create anxiety that could mean he performs at less than his best for the West Indies.
Playing against Afghanistan in a one-off Test in Lucknow, India, Brooks’ 111 helped the West Indies to a dominant position on just the second day of the contest.
The batsman’s debut century, in conjunction with Rahkeem Cornwall’s 7-75 and 3-41 meant Afghanistan ended day two 19 runs ahead of the West Indies first-innings total with just three wickets remaining.
Afghanistan had first been skittled out for 187 and are now 109 for 7, after Brooks, John Campbell (55), and Shane Dowrich (44), helped them to 277 all out.
Brooks’ success though, has been a long time in coming. As a teenager, the right-handed batsman, made two under-19 World Cup squads, even captaining the West Indies youth side in 2008.
But Brooks’ promise never translated into the senior ranks as smoothly as was expected.
Brooks, having scored just one 50 for Barbados between 2007 and 2012, was dropped and went missing until he smashed 124 against the Windward Islands on his return in 2015.
He would score two more centuries that year and returned to the reckoning for a spot in the West Indies senior side.
He would play for Board Present’s XIs and finally made a West Indies ‘A’ outfit last year.
Brooks would repay the faith the West Indies had put in him as captain of the ‘A’ side with 91 and 122 not out against India ‘A’ during a tour of England and two half-centuries against them in 2019.
Those innings earned Brooks a call to the squad to face India in the West Indies but his scores of four and seven were not flattering.
Still, Cricket West Indies stuck with him for a second Test and he has delivered.
The long-time away from the international team, Brooks hints, never daunted him and he never felt his dream of playing for the West Indies was at an end.
“I guess it's just hard work and keep performing, and you never know when you get a look-in,” said Brooks.
The batsman has also learned how to approach different oppositions, saying Afghanistan posed a very particular challenge.
“The idea was to keep Rashid out as much as possible, and keep picking it off,” he said.
The result, his first Test century and he is a happy man.
"Always a good thing to get a Test century in my career. I just raised my hand for the team today,” he said.
Raising your hand, according to Brooks meant carrying on from the good work he did on day one when he helped the West Indies make a mini-recovery by stumps to end on 68-2.
Today, was much harder, but for Brooks, the plan was simple.
“I thought today was much harder than yesterday. The idea was to keep Rashid [Khan] out as much as possible, and keep picking it off,” he said.
The result might look like a foregone conclusion at the moment but there were times on day two when one couldn’t be sure.
“Once they were 50 for no loss, we thought we had to hang in there and get one wicket and you never know,” said Brooks of Afghanistan’s faltering second innings.
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De Kock named South Africa ODI captain with Du Plessis not in squad to face England
Quinton de Kock has been named as the new South Africa captain in ODIs ahead of the series against England, with Test skipper Faf du Plessis not named in the squad.
South Africa will play England in three matches over the space of six days from February 4 and will be led by wicketkeeper-batsman De Kock.
Du Plessis, under mounting pressure as the Proteas' Test leader, has recently discussed which international commitments he will keep after this year's T20 World Cup and he is not in the 15-man squad for the series.
Cricket South Africa, while not directly naming the previous ODI skipper, indicated in Tuesday's announcement that some senior members of the squad have been rested as they look to blood young players.
Wade and Wright star before Ellis holds his nerve as Hurricanes edge out Renegades
Matthew Wade's rapid 66 and a superb knock from Macalister Wright set the stage for Hobart Hurricanes to edge out Melbourne Renegades in a thrilling Big Bash League encounter.
Needing a win to keep their slim hopes of a finals place alive, the Hurricanes were put into bat by their hosts at the Marvel Stadium in Tuesday's bottom-of-the-table clash.
But Hobart captain Wade immediately set about punishing the Renegades for that decision, smashing his way to 50 in just 22 deliveries before succumbing in the eighth over when he sliced to third man.
Wright, however, more than picked up the slack as the visitors kept up the pace, though Mohammad Nabi dismissed Jake Doran (4) before Cameron Boyce found the edge of David Miller's bat.
A full toss from Daniel Christian allowed Wright to surpass a half-century, with the batsman - ably supported by Ben McDermott (38) - finishing on 70 from 50 balls as the Renegades were set a target of 191.
Wade's Australia team-mate Marcus Harris had far less success as he went in the second over of Melbourne's innings, prior to the Renegades losing Sam Harper to a head injury.
Beau Webster (50) and Nabi (63) gave Melbourne hope with some huge shots late on but, with the home side requiring 12 to win from nine deliveries, the latter picked out Wright at deep midwicket after hitting two successive sixes.
Webster's mishit from a full toss dashed Melbourne's hopes further, with Nathan Ellis bouncing back from an expensive previous over to ensure the win.
HARPER BECOMES FIRST CONCUSSION SUB IN BBL
With Wade and Wright having done the business for the Hurricanes, the Renegades were dealt a huge blow when Harper was forced off in the fourth over.
The wicketkeeper - who suffered a severe concussion in a 2017 when Jake Lehmann accidentally struck him in the helmet with his bat - sustained a hefty blow to the head when he clattered into Ellis while scampering for a run.
Dr Trefor James and team physio Nick Adock were swiftly on the scene and, though Harper appeared to try and shake off their concerns, he was clearly unsteady on his feet and was subsequently taken off, with Tom Cooper his replacement.
Harper was then assessed in the changing rooms, before being taken to a local hospital as a precautionary measure.
ELLIS HOLDS HIS NERVE
Nabi and Webster struck a combined 20 off of Ellis' penultimate over, taking the Renegades to within touching distance of victory.
But with Clive Rose having ended Nabi's impressive stand, Ellis regained his composure in a crucial final over, luring Webster into a poor shot before sealing the win with an exceptional dot ball under pressure on the fifth delivery.
It left the Renegades needing a six off the final ball to force a Super Over, but a fine yorker from Ellis ensured the win went to Hobart.
"What a finish, great finish from Nathan," player of the match Wright said. "It was a really good game."
I'm letting the team and myself down - Rabada vows to keep emotions in check
Kagiso Rabada accepts he must learn to keep his emotions in check after the South Africa seamer was banned for the fourth and final Test against England.
The paceman was sanctioned for his exuberant celebration after claiming the wicket of England skipper Joe Root on day one of the third contest at St George's Park.
Rabada was found guilty of a level one breach of the ICC code of conduct, earning a fourth demerit point in a two-year period and triggering a one-match ban.
With South Africa 2-1 down and needing a big improvement to avoid a series defeat, Rabada's absence represents a huge blow to the struggling Proteas.
The 24-year-old is unsure whether his actions were worthy of punishment but acknowledged it is a side of his game he must work on.
"It's something that I didn't expect. Whether it was the right thing to ban me, or the wrong thing, the reality is that I am banned," he said.
"Obviously it hurts, but it gives me a chance to work on my game and to have a bit of a rest.
"It can't keep happening, because I'm letting the team down and I'm letting myself down. It just can't keep happening and that's why it hurts so much."
South Africa were resoundingly beaten by an innings and 53 runs in Port Elizabeth and Rabada concedes the team are struggling to find solutions.
"It's difficult to find solutions when you are not doing so well in your career, and us as a team have not been doing so well," he added.
"You can get into a situation where you overthink trying to find solutions, so it's quite tough to say what to do. I think the most important thing would be to stay positive and play positively.
"It's difficult when you're not playing well and everyone will have an opinion on you. We've played cricket long enough to know how to get out of a slump, but it can be difficult."
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