Back in Whites After Three Years
Shai Hope has made his long-awaited return to Test cricket for West Indies, marking his first appearance in the format since 2021. While Test cricket wasn’t his immediate goal, Hope now says he’s fully committed to the role.
“𝑰’𝒎 𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒔 𝒐𝒇, ‘𝑰 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝑻𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏’. 𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝒊𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒑𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒎𝒆, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒂𝒍𝒘𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒃𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒊𝒕.”
Declined Captaincy Role Due to Workload
Hope, who is currently the West Indies captain in ODIs and T20Is, was offered the chance to lead in Tests after Kraigg Brathwaite stepped down. However, he opted out, citing the physical and mental demands of playing all three formats.
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒆𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒔,” 𝑯𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒅. “𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆’𝒔 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆.”
Wicketkeeping Responsibility Added
Adding another layer to his comeback, Hope will also take up wicketkeeping duties in the first Test against Australia in Barbados—only his third time doing so in Tests.
“𝑰 𝒃𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒇 𝑰’𝒎 𝒅𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈, 𝑰’𝒎 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒊𝒕. 𝑺𝒐 𝒊𝒇 𝑰 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 𝑻𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕, 𝒎𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒇𝒐𝒄𝒖𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒂𝒍𝒍.”
The Pressure of Leadership and Scheduling
With a packed international calendar—including the T20 World Cup and push for 2027 ODI World Cup qualification—Hope understands the pressure but is determined to manage his workload wisely.
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒂𝒎𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝑰’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒔, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒍𝒐𝒂𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒔𝒆. 𝑰𝒕’𝒔 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒂𝒈𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒕𝒍𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓.”
A Reworked Batting Order and Leadership Support
Hope joins a refreshed Test side that includes skipper Roston Chase, John Campbell, and debutant Brandon King. His experience will be crucial in this transitional phase.
“𝑺𝒉𝒂𝒊 𝑯𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒂 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒓,” 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅. “𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒔𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒕𝒆-𝒃𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒕. 𝑰’𝒎 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒉𝒊𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆… 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒎𝒆 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒐𝒑𝒔.”
A Glimpse into the Past and Future
Hope burst onto the Test scene in 2017 with twin centuries against England at Headingley, becoming a symbol of promise. However, after a drop in form, he was sidelined. Despite minimal red-ball cricket since then, selectors have backed his return.
Ready for the Keeping Challenge
Hope kept wickets during a first-class match earlier this year, with mixed results. Despite past struggles, Chase is confident in Hope’s ability to rise to the occasion.
“𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒂 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅, 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒍𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍, 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒔𝒕,” 𝒔𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒔𝒆. “𝑯𝒆’𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘, 𝒕𝒐𝒐.”
A New Beginning for a Senior Figure
Now back in the Test squad and holding a crucial dual role, Hope hopes to bring leadership and stability to a West Indies team looking to rebuild.
“𝑰 𝒈𝒖𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒇𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒏 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒕 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒕𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐.”
Also Read: Litton recalled as Bangladesh ring in the changes for Sri Lanka ODI series