According to Stuart Law, former head coach of the West Indies, Shimron Hetmyer could go on to become a “once-in-a-generation cricketer”.

Hetmyer’s debut for the West Indies came under the tenure of Law, who left the role following the tour of Bangladesh in December last year to take charge of Middlesex.

The talented left-handed batsman has caught the eye across the current Test series against England, with his first-innings 81 in Bridgetown a particular stand-out. Law believes that Hetymer, who has yet to make a Test hundred, has an incredibly bright future ahead of him.

“He [Hetmyer] could be a once-in-a-generation cricketer,” Law told the Wisden Cricket Weekly Podcast. “If he understands tempos in different formats of the game – he’s got one-day cricket now, he’s started to work that out, T20 cricket he’s not quite understanding, and Test cricket, he’s getting better. The more he plays, the better he’ll get.

“He’s one, when I was with the West Indies, we said: ‘You’ve got to persist with him. If we persist with him, he will learn. He will understand that you can’t just go out and try and hit Trent Boult back over his head for six every second ball.’ That’s what he tried to do when we were in New Zealand.

“We might be on the cusp of a coterie of players who turn Test batting on its head,”@CricProf‘s @fwildecricket on why Shimron Hetmyer is special, and why his attacking approach could work long-term and inspire others to follow suit.https://t.co/vIEAB58qSm

— Wisden (@WisdenCricket) January 25, 2019

“He now knows that you’ve got treat them with a little respect before you cash in at the end of the day. Once he learns that, he’s going to be great to watch.”

Law also revealed that Hetmyer likes to hone his batting skills in an independent manner, a trait that his former coach doesn’t believe to be an issue.

“He’s a stubborn young man. I don’t mind that. I don’t mind him saying, ‘No, I’ll do it my way.’ It’s good but then he has to find a way and he’s totally accountable for his career and his choices. I don’t mind that in a player.”

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