Shai Hope

Shai Diego Hope (born 10 November 1993) is a Barbadian cricketer, who plays Tests and ODIs for the West Indies cricket team. At the age of 21, he was called into the West Indies squad after he scored a double century against the Windwards Islands at the Kensington Oval on the last day of the 2014–15 Regional Four Day Competition. In June 2018, he was named the Men’s Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and the ODI Cricketer of the Year at the annual Cricket West Indies’ Awards.

Hope was educated at Bedes Senior School in East Sussex, England under the guidance of former Sussex captain Alan Wells. Whilst at Bedes, Hope guided the 1st XI to the national 20/20 final where he scored a half century in a losing cause versus Millfield. He also considered remaining in the United Kingdom at that time, with the intention to qualify to play for the England cricket team.

He has been described by the West Indian cricket writer and commentator Tony Cozier as “A stylish No. 3 batsman whose 211 for Barbados against Windward Isles was the tournament’s only double-hundred”. In 2017, he was a key member of the Barbados team that won the Regional Super50, scoring centuries in both the semi-final and final, and was named man of the match in both games.

Hope made his Test debut against England on 1 May 2015. In August 2016 he was added to the West Indies squad for their Test series against India.

He made his One Day International (ODI) debut in the second match of the tri-series, against Sri Lanka.[10] His maiden ODI ton came on his second ODI, in the same tour against Zimbabwe, when he scored 101 during chasing the 257 runs. His score did not change the game, where the match ended in a tie, which is the 34th tied ODI match and the first tied ODI match between the two teams. He was adjudged Man of the match for his performance.

On the 25 August 2017, Hope scored his maiden Test ton in the second Test against England. He along with Kraigg Brathwaite put a 246-run partnership to lift the West Indies total to 427. Chasing 322 in the second innings, Hope scored his second hundred and guided West Indies to a 5-wicket win. In the second innings also, Brathwaite and Hope added 144 runs as well. The win was West Indies’ first away victory over England since 2000 and Hope was awarded man of the match for his winning performances. Hope’s two centuries in the match against England marked the first time this feat had been achieved at Headingley Cricket Ground in first-class cricket. His contribution in the 2017 tour of England was recognised in April 2018 when he was named one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year.

In December 2017, Hope was added to the West Indies’ Twenty20 International (T20I) squad ahead of their series against New Zealand. He made his T20I debut for the West Indies against New Zealand on 29 December 2017.

In October 2018, Cricket West Indies (CWI) awarded him a contract across all formats of cricket for the 2018–19 season. Against Bangladesh he scored fastest fifty (3rd).