New Delhi [India], May 20 (ANI): Roston Chase, the newly crowned West Indies Test captain, revealed how an “ultimatum he received from his mother during his initial phase of his career served as a “driving force” and helped carry his cricket to the “next level”.
A couple of days ago, Chase was named the West Indies skipper after Shai Hope opted out of the running for the Test captaincy, preferring to focus on his responsibilities in the shorter formats.
Chase, who will now follow in the footsteps of Frank Worrell, Garfield Sobers, Clive Lloyd, and Viv Richards, reflected on his journey and reminisced about the days when he was 18 and looking to break into the Barbados team.
“I was a student at the University of the West Indies (UWI) Cave Hill at the time, and I would be taking a lot of leave to go and play like in the first-class competition. I wasn’t cemented in the Barbados team at that stage. So my mother encouraged me, but gave me an ultimatum that I will be given two years to make myself a permanent fixture in the Barbados team, or I will have to go to school permanently,” Chase said as quoted from ESPNcricinfo.
“I loved cricket more than school. I was always a good student, but cricket was my love. I worked hard, and I’m glad that she gave me that ultimatum because that really was the driving force for me to carry my cricket to the next level,” he added.
The 33-year-old, who has 49 Test appearances under his belt, went on to highlight the instrumental role his father played during his journey and added, “He would come and watch all my games, and talk to me about the game, [like] where I need to improve or I need to work on – the dos and don’ts.”
The Caribbean side’s Test schedule is thinner than most other sides. However, Chase feels the weight of history, considering that in the 1980s, the West Indies was arguably the best in the red-ball format.
“Captaining the West Indies is a great job to have, and there’s a legacy attached to it. Playing for the West Indies means everything to me, so I’m ready for the responsibilities which come with the job,” he said.
West Indies will participate in 13 fixtures in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 cycle, which is about to commence. Chase’s first assignment as West Indies captain will be a three-match home Test series against Australia, set to begin on June 25 in Bridgetown. (ANI)
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