West Indies batsman Shai Hope says he considered qualifying to play for England while he was at school in the UK.
Hope, who is seen as one of the Windies’ most prized assets, says he weighed up the benefits of playing for England while he studied at St. Bede’s independent school in Sussex. The young batsman also noted the paths taken by Sussex cricketers Chris Jordan and Jofra Archer, who were both born in Barbados.
“It was a thought,” Hope admitted. “You’ve got to look around at your competitors and see who’s vying for the same positions as you. You look at your options. At that particular stage, it crossed my mind.
“It really was a big motivator,” Hope said. “Coming off that loss the week before and knowing what people were saying about us … we used it as a big motivator to put in a big performance. We knew the series was at stake.
”We’ll use that as a motivator again. We’ll know that everyone is against us. We’re so-called underdogs. But we know that, if we play our cricket, we’re going to beat these guys.”
The first Test between the West Indies and England in Barbados starts this Wednesday at 2pm (UK time).
