Sportsmax – Barbados Pride have added Shai Hope to their squad for their crucial West Indies Championship fifth-round showdown against Trinidad and Tobago Red Force, as they continue their push for the title. The much-anticipated contest, which could make or break either team’s championship ambition, is set to bowl off on Wednesday at Kensington Oval.
Hope, 31, joins an already star-studded Pride lineup, which in recent rounds has welcomed back senior players such as Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Kraigg Brathwaite, and Kemar Roach, all of whom missed the Championship opener due to overseas commitments. He replaces injured all-rounder Kyle Mayers.
Though he has not played first-class cricket in two years, Hope’s return provides a major boost to Pride’s batting, adding depth alongside Brathwaite, Jonathan Drakes, and Chase, all of whom have been in superb form this season.
Hope, a proven performer, is best remembered for his twin centuries at Headingley in 2017, which cemented his status as a top-order stroke-maker. While his Test career stalled, Hope successfully transitioned into a T20 franchise star, as he excelled in the Caribbean Premier League for Guyana Amazon Warriors and broke into the West Indies T20 squad. He has also featured in global leagues like the IPL, the Australian Big Bash, and the ILT20 in Dubai earlier this year.
Now, his return to the four-day arena comes at a pivotal moment, with Pride currently third in the standings on 73 points, trailing only Red Force (77.8 points) and leaders Guyana Harpy Eagles (81.2 points).
After a heavy opening-round defeat to Guyana, Pride rebounded in dominant fashion, having secured three consecutive wins—an innings and 54-run victory over West Indies Academy, a nine-wicket triumph over Jamaica Scorpions, and a three-day rout of Combined Campuses and Colleges (CCC)—on the trot.
Meanwhile, Red Force, who boast the tournament’s leading run scorer Jason Mohammed and top bowler Khary Pierre, remain unbeaten, with dominant innings victories over CCC and Windward Islands Volcanoes, followed by a draw with Leeward Islands Hurricanes and a 125-run win over West Indies Academy in round four.
With both teams in top form, this matchup promises to be a thrilling battle for supremacy in the championship race.
Apart from Hope’s inclusion, fast bowler Jair McAllister has been called up in place of off-spinner Chaim Holder.
Barbados Pride Squad: Kraigg Brathwaite (captain), Leniko Boucher, Roston Chase, Jonathan Drakes, Matthew Forde, Jason Holder, Shai Hope, Jair McAllister, Zachary McCaskie, Kemar Roach, Ramon Simmonds, Jomel Warrican, Kevin Wickham
