Shai Diego Hope (born 10 November 1993) is a Barbadiancricketer, who plays as a wicketkeeper-batsman for theWest Indies cricket team.[1][2] He is also the current ODI captain of the Windies.[3][4] In June 2018, he was named the Men's Cricketer of the Year, Test Cricketer of the Year and the ODI Cricketer of the Year at the annualCricket West Indies' Awards.[5] The following year, he was named the CWI ODI Player of the Year.[6] He is generally regarded as one of the best ODI batsmen in the contemporary cricketing world. Hope has also twice been named, for both 2020 and 2022, in the ICC ODI Team of the Year.[7][8][9]
Hope was further educated atBedes Senior School in East Sussex, England[12] under the guidance of formerSussex captainAlan Wells. Whilst at Bedes, Hope guided the 1st XI to the national 20/20 final where he scored a half century in a losing cause versus Millfield. During the 2012 season, Hope had a brief stint at local East Sussex side Chiddingly CC averaging 46 runs throughout the season with a top score of 61. He also considered remaining in the United Kingdom at that time, with the intention to qualify to play for theEngland cricket team.[12]
Hope has been described by the West Indian cricket writer and commentatorTony Cozier as "A stylish No. 3 batsman whose 211 forBarbados againstWindward Islands cricket team was the tournament's only double-hundred".[13] In2017, he was a key member of the Barbados team that won theRegional Super50, scoring centuries in both the semi-final[14] and final,[15] and was namedman of the match in both games.
Hope made hisOne Day International (ODI) debut in the second match of thetri-series, against Sri Lanka.[27] His maiden ODI ton came on his second ODI, in the same tour against Zimbabwe, when he scored 101 during chasing the 257 runs.[28] His score did not change the game, where the match ended in a tie, which is the34th tied ODI match and the first tied ODI match between the two teams and he was adjudgedman of the match for his performance.[29]
On 25 August 2017, Hope scored his maiden Test ton in the second Testagainst England. He along withKraigg Brathwaite put a 246-run partnership to lift the West Indies total to 427. Chasing 322 in the second innings, Hope scored his second hundred and guided West Indies to a 5-wicket win. In the second innings also, Brathwaite and Hope added 144 runs as well. The win was West Indies' first away victory over Englandsince 2000 and Hope was awarded man of the match for his winning performances.[30] Hope's two centuries in the match against England marked the first time this feat had been achieved atHeadingley Cricket Ground in first-class cricket.[31] His contribution in the 2017 tour of England was recognised in April 2018 when he was named one of the fiveWisden Cricketers of the Year.[32]
In December 2017, Hope was added to the West Indies'Twenty20 International (T20I) squad ahead of their seriesagainst New Zealand.[33] He made his T20I debut for the West Indies against New Zealand on 29 December 2017.[34]
In October 2018,Cricket West Indies (CWI) awarded Hope a contract across all formats of cricket for the 2018–19 season.[35][36]
In May 2019, Hope played in his 50th ODI match, in the opening fixture of the2019 Ireland Tri-Nation Series.[37] In that match, Hope andJohn Campbell made 365 runs for the opening wicket. It was thehighest opening partnership in ODIs,[38] and it was also the first time that both openers for the West Indies had scored 150 runs each in an ODI match.[39] In the next match of the tri-series, againstBangladesh, Hope became the fastest batsman for the West Indies, in terms of number of innings, to score 2,000 runs in ODIs, doing so in his 47th innings.[40]
Hope was named in theWest Indies' squad for the2019 Cricket World Cup.[41][42] TheInternational Cricket Council (ICC) named Hope as the key player of the West Indies' squad prior to the tournament.[43] On 17 June 2019, in the match againstBangladesh, Hope played in his 100th international match for the West Indies.[44] Hope scored 96 runs facing 121 balls with 4 fours and a six against Bangladesh at Taunton, 17 June 2019.[45]
On 22 December 2019, during the third matchagainst India, Hope became the second-fastest batsman, in terms of innings, to score 3,000 runs in ODIs, doing so in his 67th innings.[46]
He was later named in the 2019ICC ODI team of the Year.[7] In June 2020, Hope was named in the West Indies' Test squad, for their seriesagainst England.[47] The Test series was originally scheduled to start in May 2020, but was moved back to July 2020 due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.[48]
On 8 June 2022 Hope went on to score 127 against Pakistan in the first game of a three match ODI series played at theMultan Cricket Stadium. In so doing he became the 3rd fastest batsman of all time to compile 4000 runs in one day internationals and the 11th West Indian batsman to accomplish this feat.[49][50]
Hope played his 100th ODI match on 24 July 2022, scoring 115 against India in the second match of their bilateral series. Hope shared a fourth wicket stand of 117 withNicholas Pooran but did so in a losing cause.[51] He was later bestowed with the honour of being named in the 2022 ICC ODI team of the Year.[9][8]
In December 2023, he scored his 16th ODI century against England in the first game of the three-match series.[55] He scored 109 not out off 83 balls to steer his team to a memorable victory. In the process,Hope crossed 5000 runs in ODIs,becoming the fastest ever West Indian to reach the mark,equalling the record of SirVivian Richards,in his 114th innings,and the 3rd fastest in the world.[56]
Hope has scored twocenturies in Test matches and 17 in One Day Internationals. His highest Test score of 147 came against England atLeeds in August 2017. His highest ODI score of 170 came againstIreland atDublin in May 2019.
England
