West Indies legend Curtly Ambrose believes the team should consider removing Shai Hope from the line-up against England, for his own good, after a brutal run of form has severely limited the player’s impact in the ongoing series.

Hope was among the few standout players when the team played England in the 2017 series.  In fact, his two finely crafted 100s played a critical role in the team turning the tables on England for a shock victory in the second Test at Headingly.

"Something has gone terribly wrong for him since those two centuries at Headingley - he hasn't done anything really in Test cricket since then," said Ambrose recently told Sky Sports.

Read more at SportsMax

Full Story

spot on ambrose you can't keep playing hope on the back of two centuries a couple of years ago that is ridiculous i can't understand why his test form is so poor in comparision to his one day form

I agree with Ambrose, but in the 15 man squad there in no one who could sensibly replace him with Campbell being un-productive also.

In reply to velo

Maybe he is a one-day player, dressed in test cricket clothing?

Wait, this Ambrose guy cannot be a Bajan.

In reply to dayne
I do not agree with dropping Shia Hope.

Rest roach for Chemar Holder. Drop Campbell for Cornwall. Hope opens with KB.

In reply to Star

well ! rest him them.

Ambrose don't believe in a star batsman he used to say get us some runs so the bowlers can defend them. No surprise there.
Hope is living off representation of 3 yrs ago. Ambrose saying rest him and bring him back with fire in his belly to prove a point.

[b]In reply to Star

I'm curious, on what basis are you dropping Campbell yet retaining Hope even to the tune of having him (Hope) opening the innings?

In reply to camos
Did you not see where I followed up with the following?

What is your point?

In reply to JoeGrine
That is not difficult to answer.

Although a player may have a lean run we will normally look back on his performances against the specific team under similar circumstances and come to a reasonable conclusion after weighing the pros and cons against inclusion or exclusion.

Hope comes out ahead of Campbell in this instance.

In reply to Star

Did he open against this specific (English) Test team while having a runs drought?

Note, I am not advocating for either player, I just find your position difficult to come to grips with.

In reply to JoeGrine
Specific team means his past performance against England and not necessarily against every individual English player.

Similar circumstances means playing test cricket in England where the ball moves around considerably more than in other countries.

I think that is pretty straightforward to grasp. Don't you think that gives Shia Hope the edge over Campbell at this time, given that he did exceedingly well against England in his previous tour there?

In reply to Star

You just start watch WI cricket?

Hope failed miserably as an opener.

He's been failing at 3, and you want to push him back to open, while dropping a man who average more as an opener, and I'd also a specialist opener.

Might be one of the dumbest posts I've ever seen on here

In reply to Star

Say what? That is the most insular and irrational logic I have ever heard even by island standards.

Roland Butcher who is part of the BCA board, said on the Mason and Guest show, that he will drop Shai for the last test.
I believe the entire panel has Cornwall in the X1.

Phil has guts. That much is evident

But does he have the “guts” to drop a bajan with the bajan captain, vice captain, 4 other Bajans, and bajan assistant coaches? Doh talk bout Conde waiting like mapeepee on he computer to send email

In reply to DIEHARD

Ok.

So since your response to my dumb post can not be classified as one of the dumbest posts ever seen here, would it be reasonable to conclude from your not dumb post that because a man is a specialist opener it is ok to continue playing him although he failed to produce and that it would be more logical to play this man instead of another man who scored two centuries during his previous tour to England?

Campbell in England this year: 2 test, 4 innings, 52 runs, HS 28.
Previous tour to England: Campbell ---------

Hope in England this year: 2 test, 4 innings, 57 runs, HS 25.
Previous tour to England: Hope 2 centuries.
What position did Hope bat at when he scored his two centuries against England in England?

I am asking you because I do not know.

[b]In reply to imusic[/b
That statement doesn't help, it is a WI team. I know you are backing the guys to win or at least draw this match.

Ambrose has made a valid point which I fully endorse.

Talent wise, Hope is our second best batsman after Darren Bravo. Lest we forget, Bravo was dropped after a run of failure but nothing compared to Hope's paltry returns throughout his career, but especially over the past 2 years.

I think Hope is a good batsman but those 2 centuries were the exception rather than the rule in his test career so far. The sad and inescapable fact is that he has averaged about 20 runs on either side of those centuries, and this has roughly been his test batting average for every year, except for 2017- the year of those recording breaking centuries..

In reply to jacksprat

Fluke?

In reply to natty_forever

I would not say it was a fluke but he just has not delivered.

Faoud Bacchus, another underachieving batsman of a bygone era, once score 250 against India - his only century. I did not think that was a fluke because Bacchus was evidently a very talented batsman who did not do his talent justice.

What West Indies needs is a
Irving Shillingford
Basil Williams
Everton Mathis
Sew Shivnarine
Dwayne Smith
Players who can come in and make an immediate impact!
Does WI have those caliber players in their ranks??
Can Cornwall and Bonner fill the bill??

In reply to jacksprat

Hope needs to go back to FC cricket, and play a full season for Barbados. Maybe then we will see him regain his mojo.

But at the moment, his stats bear comparison with Devon Smith, Kieran Powell, Darren Ganga and Stuart Williams.

The comparison with Faoud Bacchus is a good one. He played 19 Tests for an average of 26. How many Tests has Shai played for his average of 26?

In reply to Slipfeeler

Allyuh hear Mike Atherton talking about the fact that Shai Hope has not played a first class match since 2017? Wonder where he got that from!!!!LOL.He was wrong in stating that his last first class match outside test cricket was when he scored 215 against Guyana for Barbados.His last first class match outside test cricket was in England when he scored a century on the 2017 tour.

In reply to Dukes

That won't help him either. Good bowlers with unlimited overs will figure him out quickly enough on any given day.

In reply to Dukes

I hope he wasn't playing ODI cricket during the west indies first class tournament. Who schedules these things again?

In reply to Dukes

And then ask, how come he is selected and not Pooran, having not played any FC cricket since 2017.
How he is selected for true, when his only "FC" cricket is test cricket and he has not produced there either.

In reply to natty_forever

Hope, Dowrich, and Braithwaite after this series will have a lot of time to play for Barbados, and redevelop their motivation to perform consistently in the game.
Although Dowrich could come back with a ton tomorrow.

In reply to CaribbeanCricket.com

As usual.....ambrose is spot on. Hope is stuck in a negative mindset. He doesen't even want to turnover the strike. Yes the Anderson ball was great but had they been rotating the strike, it is likely he would not have been able to bowl that ball. But hope was a sitting duck.

In reply to Slipfeeler

Dowrich has had one bad test at the crease. Foreign keepers usually struggle in india. But campbell and hope are a serious problem

In reply to Jumpstart

Woakes to Shai Hope,