Shai Hope was one of 11 players to make it to ICC’s men’s ODI Team of 2022. Sarah Waris analyses if the West Indies player deserved to make the cut.

Hope scored 709 runs in 2022 – the second-most in the world among Full-Member countries – from 21 games and also registered the joint-most hundreds (three). However, it was a year where only five cricketers from Full Member nations played 20 or more ODIs with a focus on the T20 World Cup, which reduced the overall competition and meant most teams played without their first-choice bowling attack. Being second on the run-charts after playing the second-most games should, therefore, not be a major achievement.

The number of runs that Hope churned out loses its sheen when we take a look at the average (35.45) and the strike rate (74.24). 15 players managed to score more than 500 runs in 2022, but only three had an average poorer than Hope’s – Shamarh Brooks, Shikhar Dhawan and Nicholas Pooran. Dhawan and Rahmat Shah were also the only players in the 500-club to have a worse strike rate than Hope. Overall, Dhawan was the only other batter who fared worse than Hope across both parameters, which makes his inclusion in ICC’s ODI XI all the more astonishing.

What could have worked for Hope in making the ICC ODI team was that he ended with the most hundreds in 2022 – three – tied with Babar Azam, Ibrahim Zadran and Sikandar Raza. However, none of his tons were scored at a rate of over 95, with two also coming in defeats. He made an unbeaten 119 against the Netherlands in a run chase of 247, which allowed him to play his natural game and anchor the innings. However, the inability to let loose after getting his eye in arguably was the deciding factor in defeats to Pakistan and India.

In the first Pakistan ODI, Hope made 127 in 134 deliveries but West Indies could not land the finishing punch despite quick cameos from Rovman Powell and Romario Shepherd as the team ended with 305-8. Pakistan won the close game with four balls to spare and there is reason to believe that a little more intent from a set batter could have produced a different result. Against India, Hope took 69 deliveries to reach 50 and then another 57 balls for the three-figure mark. Windies posted 311-6, which India chased down with two balls to spare. Once again, the failure to switch gears was criticised.

Hope opened throughout 2022 but has been picked at No.3 in ICC’s XI, which makes one believe that there was a shortage of candidates to choose from. But that is not the case. Among all players from Nos.1-3, a total of nine made more than 500 runs last year, with Dhawan again being the only batter to average and strike worse than Hope. A total of seven top-order players averaged more than 40 with the bat. Among them, four also struck over 90 – Babar, Imam-ul-Haq, Shubman Gill and David Warner. Imam, Gill and Warner are not in the ICC ODI team of 2022.

ICC’s explanation for selecting Hope was: “Hope had a brilliant year in 2022, being at his consistent best for the West Indies in the 50-over format.” However, 16 scores below 30, including six in a row, say otherwise.