We need to talk about Shimron...

CARIBBEAN CRICKET COLUMN - SANTOKIE NAGULENDRAN: When Badree told Hetmyer to lose weight, it wasn’t malicious, it was concern from a senior statesman who knows just how good he can be

Berbice, Guyana, has always been different.

Originally a Dutch colony which would later become merged into British Guiana (now known as Guyana), the rural land is encapsulated by a vastness entrenched in the Amazonian terrain, an ecological region nearly 300 miles away from the capital city Georgetown. It feels like a different country, a distinct culture, different from the rest of Guyana.

The most famous son of Berbice, Rohan Kanhai, was different. Having not had any formal coaching while learning the game on the sugar plantations he grew up on, Kanhai tore up the traditional rulebook of the game, playing a swashbuckling brand of cricket that would play a large part in defining West Indian’s own cricketing identity and impressed Bob Marley so much that he named his own son after the player.

Shimron Hetmyer is a product of Berbice. Shimron Hetmyer is different.

“We’d love to see you drop some weight before you get off to the IPL,” commentator Samuel Badree would tell Hetmyer live on camera during the recent CPL game between Guyana Amazon Warriors and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots.

A harsh lesson in Caribbean honesty, Hetmyer laughed it off on the field, a grin ingrained on his face as he carried on with the game, aware of his own capabilities. An hour or so later, he would come out to bat and blast 71 off 41 balls, leading the Warriors to a win.

This is why people criticise him, they know his talent is the type you rarely find and as such, they fear any signs of it being wasted.

Ramnaresh Sarwan, when appearing on the Caribbean Cricket Podcast, would say Hetmyer was one of the three most talented players he’s seen come through the ranks (alongside Chris Gayle and Marlon Samuels). That’s how good he is.

^{Hetmyer was told to lose weight by Samuel Badree on commentary}

Guyana has never had a true T20 star, the regional side has dominated the first-class game in recent years but not produced a player to make waves in the short format in the same way neighbouring Trinidad and Tobago has. That was until Hetmyer, from the literal wilderness of Berbice, came along.

Hetmyer is a player with an unbelievable attacking talent, a player who makes everything seem so easy on a consistent basis. With his confident swagger, capped off with a permanent smile and the trademark floppy hat, he’s a player who has an aura, seemingly the next West Indian superstar.

Transitioning across all formats, at only 23 years old he already has numerous landmark innings. The 139 not out against India in an ODI in Chennai, the 81 against England in the first Test of the Caribbean series last year which paved the way for a historic West Indies win, the 49-ball century in the 2018 CPL which alerted the world to just how good he was.

Yet for all the highs, there have been some concerns. 2019 was a challenging year for the player, telling the Guyana Times recently that the year had “taught me the hardships of cricket”. An underwhelming IPL campaign for Royal Challengers Bangalore had seen him released by the franchise.

Culture, wine and family: Cameron Delport reveals the secrets of his success

He averaged 36 in the 2019 World Cup, including a 26-ball half century against Bangladesh, but would have been disappointed to not have contributed more as West Indies limped out of the tournament.  His form seemed at its lowest in last year’s CPL as he failed to make the big scores expected of him and Guyana lost in the final. It seemed the pressure had taken a toll on the young man.

However, in a significant tour of India last December, he scored that ODI century in Chennai, which  convinced the Delhi Daredevils to pay a staggering $1.1m for him mere days later, with the franchise so confident in his ability that it was not even seen as a risky gamble to make.

Despite his inconsistency that year, the flashes of brilliance were alluring enough.  2020 would be the start of Hetmyer’s resurgence, or so it seemed.

Failing a fitness test and missing the ODI tour to Sri Lanka in February, that same month not showing up for his regional side, Guyana Jaguars, as required, as well as understandably opting out of the England tour for personal reasons relating to Covid-19, meant it was a major concern for many seeing Hetmyer show up to this year’s CPL not looking in the best of shape physically.

^{Hetmyer has been in fine form so far in this year's CPL}

Was his career, which has seen him captain West Indies to an Under-19 World Cup win, star for the senior West Indian side across all formats, and land a big money IPL deal in the process, derailing in front of our eyes?

The answer so far has been a resounding no. He scored 134 runs in his first two CPL games this season, hit at a strike rate of 152, suggesting he hasn’t missed a beat.  If anything, it seems like the enforced break caused by lockdown has benefitted Hetmyer, given him time to breathe and reflect on his game.

In the modern era, where the schedule is relentless and unforgiving, it is extremely hard for players, especially younger ones, to turn their form around, unless they are dropped.

Hetmyer may look bigger, but his batting in this year’s CPL has so far been a vision of the great player we all want to see, playing magnificent strokes that are somehow carefree and controlled at the same time.

When Badree told Hetmyer to lose weight, it wasn’t malicious, it was concern from a senior statesman who knows just how good he can be, concern that arguably the greatest player produced in this generation in the Caribbean was squandering his talent. Hetmyer’s performances so far suggest he isn’t about to let that happen.

The Cricketer's coverage of the CPL comes in collaboration with the Caribbean Cricket Podcast