The photograph still hangs in his home.
A young man, barely 18, clutches his first Test cap with wide-eyed wonder and excitement.
Former Test captain Sir Richie Richardson handed it to him in Saint Kitts along with some words of advice and as the recipient, Kraigg Brathwaite, returned to his hotel that evening, he was almost in disbelief.
What none of the players present that day, including his former captain and now coach Daren Sammy, could have imagined, was that this modest teenager from Barbados carried a goal so ambitious it bordered on the absurd.
Fourteen years after his debut moment, as Grenada prepares to host his 100th Test match, Brathwaite’s dream, first hatched as a 14-year-old, stood triumphantly against the test of time.
“I set that goal when I was probably 14 years old — to play 100 Tests. Now I’m here, 18 years later, playing for West Indies. I’m very thankful, and I just want to be an inspiration, for younger guys to follow,” he shared.
“I didn’t want to just be another player — I wanted to make an impact.”
On his debut Kraigg recalled, “It was pure excitement. Being in the team I would have been around for the first Test in Guyana, which I didn’t play in.”
“Going into my first game playing, and with my father coming in, there was a lot of excitement around it. It was a great experience for me against a decent Pakistan team. It gave me an idea of what Test cricket was at that moment and how fit you have to be, especially as an opener.”
“It was a tremendous experience. Getting my first runs with a boundary through backward point and seeing my father celebrate like it was a 100, that was very touching and special for me.”
It may be hard to believe as he is on the cusp of 100 Tests, but Kraigg’s well-known hard-nosed determination and self-belief wasn’t immediate.
“I wanted to play for the West Indies from young — but I wasn’t sure I could do it on the big stage. As I played more, the belief came that I could get this job done,” the former Test skipper revealed.
“Pretty much, from my second or third game, I had the belief that I could do it.”
His maiden century against New Zealand in 2014 was another turning point in his growing self-confidence.
“My first 100 against New Zealand was a feeling I can’t really describe. I didn’t believe that I would have been that close to a Test century, and then getting it, I could not believe that I scored 100 for West Indies. That really meant a lot and helped me going forward, to know that I can get it done.”
“New Zealand was a young team at the time. They were doing very good things and to get it against them, I felt proud. That gave me the belief that I could get the job done.”
A couple of months after his maiden ton, he crafted 212 against Bangladesh, a score which remains his career best. Two years on of playing his best cricket, he carried his bat to an unbeaten 142 against Pakistan in Sharjah and helped his team to victory.
“Sharjah was special, because as an opener, especially now, I always want to be there at the end and win games for the team. Sometimes you feel like being there at the end helps the team win,” the batsman opined.
While Brathwaite’s game has evolved, his core values remain discipline and purpose.
“I didn’t have a lot of scoring shots early on, but I’ve worked on my driving, my cut shot and I always practice with a plan. I believe that’s especially important in red-ball cricket.”
His proudest chapter as Test captain came in 2021, as he led a young West Indies side to a famous 2-0 series win in Bangladesh. However, it was the long-awaited win in Australia early last year that meant the most.
“To go to Bangladesh with a young, inexperienced team and win that series two-nil, for me, was very special and emotional,” he shared.
“Playing against Australia throughout my career and early on, we never beat them, and I think we drew one or two games. I remember sitting down in the dressing room in Jamaica after we got beaten and I said to myself, I would love to beat Australia, at least before I finish playing. At the time, it just felt like they were winning everything.”
As Grenada gears up to host his 100thTest match against the Aussies, Brathwaite reflects on the journey with gratitude.
“Grenada is a special place for me and I’m looking forward to playing my 100th Test match. I’m very happy and thankful to be here and honoured to be playing for West Indies,” he noted.
On the eve of his momentous achievement, there is a lot to make one proud of Kraigg’s 14-year Test career and even more to learn, especially for the next generation of cricketers.
“Whatever it may be, from a young age you can set your goals and targets that you want to achieve in life,” he stated plainly.
“Work hard throughout the tough times and the good times. Stay disciplined and never take it for granted.”
The journey from his first-class debut at 16 to becoming the West Indies’ 290th Test cricketer, has been extraordinary.
From Erdiston Primary to Combermere’s cricket cages and cricket’s grandest stages, Brathwaite’s career has been one defined by patience, persistence and pride.
In Grenada, he takes his place among Test cricket’s elite, the tenth West Indian to do so, and he carries with him every young cricketer’s dream of the impossible becoming very possible.
Kraigg Clairmonte Brathwaite, WI salute you. Up and on!
Source: Cricket West Indies
