Windies T20 captain Carlos Brathwaite claims he had very little issue with former England, captain, Nasser Hussain commentating from within the field of play as the action unfolded in the Windies vs World XI charity match at Lord on Thursday.
In the end, the Windies won by a comfortable 72-run margin in a match earmarked for providing hurricane relief to areas of the Caribbean affected by storms that ravaged the region last year. For some, however, the major talking point was the presence of Hussain on the pitch in a game that was officially designated international status.
“I didn’t see him Nasser much, honestly,” said Brathwaite of the issue. “For me, it wasn’t a massive distraction.”
The all-rounder put the incident down to attempts by cricket authorities to keep fans interested as the game continued its evolutionary process.
“Hopefully people enjoyed it and it will help draw more people into cricket. Things happen so quickly now, and we have to move with the times and grow and evolve the sport,” Brathwaite added.
Evin Lewis hit a blistering 58 from 26 balls to set the table for the West Indies’ 199 for four, with Marlon Samuels contributing 43 and Denesh Ramdin 44 not out for the reigning ICC World Twenty20 champions.
Spinner Samuel Badree and Andre Russell then put the World XI’s on the back foot early on after taking two early wickets apiece to leave the score at 8 for four. (SportsMax)
