Brathwaite urges West Indies to properly develop Lawes

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados (CMC):

Former West Indies cricketer Carlos Brathwaite has urged Cricket West Indies to carefully manage the development of teenage wrist spinner Vitel Lawes, saying the youngster needs time and support to fulfil his potential.

The 19-year-old Jamaican was one of the standout performers at this year’s ICC Under-19 World Cup, earning selection to the West Indies senior squad for the recently concluded white-ball tour of India.

However, he endured a difficult introduction to international cricket during the One-Day International series, going wicketless in two matches while conceding 127 runs from 15 overs.

Speaking recently on The Super Over podcast, Brathwaite, who played 44 ODIs, 41 T20 Internationals and three Test matches for the West Indies, said that, although he was pleased to see Lawes given an opportunity at the highest level, the focus must now be on ensuring his continued development.

“A part of me is happy he’s getting the opportunities and that we’re backing a young player, but, for me now, the follow-up is how do we support that young player?

“The challenge I found that West Indies cricket has had is not necessarily finding talent – finding talent has always been quite easy for us – I think the difficulty for West Indies is honing that talent,” Brathwaite insisted.

He argued that West Indies head coach Daren Sammy and his support staff must find avenues to help Lawes continue his growth, particularly at a time when opportunities for young players to gain first-class experience have become limited because of Cricket West Indies’ financial constraints.

“You look to three first-class games this season and no Super50, [so] where does a Vitel Lawes now go at a level below international cricket and learn his game? He would have had lots of things that he would have done well and be happy with, and there’ll be a lot more things that he probably was unhappy with coming out of India, things he can work on. But where does he work on those things?

“Does he work on those things in a random pitch somewhere in Jamaica where the pressure is off and the spotlights are off as well? Or do we throw him in at first-class level, 50-over level, T20 level? What is the level between CPL [Caribbean Premier League] and international cricket?” Brathwaite questioned.

“So, my challenge to the powers that be in West Indies cricket is to see what Vital Lawes has done well, see the challenges he’s had, and now give him an opportunity to be able to learn at the level below so he can have a quicker bounce back and not be like a Jewel Andrew a couple years later, flirting between the doldrums and – I don’t want to say failure – but not hitting the heights that we expected of him two years ago.”