Shai Hope "leading the charge" for West Indies, says Jason Holder

Of anyone in the history of ODI cricket to have batted more than 20 times, only eight men have a higher average than Hope’s record of 51.06

West Indies captain Jason Holder has praised his batting lineup’s engine room ahead of his side’s World Cup opener against Pakistan at Trent Bridge.

Given the firepower of Chris Gayle, Evin Lewis and Andre Russell, it is easy to overlook the talents of both Shai Hope and Darren Bravo in a team that many have described as potential dark horses in a wide-open competition.

Hope has enjoyed a profitable buildup to the tournament, adding a hundred against New Zealand at Bristol in his nation’s final warm-up game to a pair of centuries at the start of May in Dublin against Ireland and Bangladesh. Of anyone in the history of ODI cricket to have batted more than 20 times, only eight men have a higher average than Hope’s 51.06.

“I think he's worked out pretty much his method of scoring in this format,” Holder said of the 25-year-old.

“It's been very, very consistent, which as a group we've probably lacked in the recent past. So it's really good to see a young batter stepping up and being as consistent as he has been and leading the charge for us, and obviously we've got power around him and obviously some other touch players.

“I think we've got a really good mix in terms of our batter lineup, but obviously Shai has stood out in the recent past with his success and that's just really down to the fact that he's been consistent and he's been working on the method of how he's going to be successful in this format.”

^{Bravo's last ODI ton came against South Africa in 2016.}

Bravo, meanwhile, has not enjoyed the same recent fortune. He managed just 36 runs in five innings during the West Indies’ triangular series in Ireland, while he is without an ODI hundred since June 2016.

However, in a side full of expansive stroke-makers, Bravo’s composure in the number three role has made him an invaluable part of Holder’s outfit.

“He had a period of time out of the game, which is always hard coming back in, but his energy around the team is exceptional,” explained Holder.

“He's one of those guys that definitely brings energy to the team, and he's slowly but surely getting back into his rhythm.

“I think he's very, very confident going into this first game against Pakistan and he knows the impact he can have on the team and the team's performance when he gets going.”

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