Brathwaite reflects on journey to 100 Tests for West Indies

Kraigg Brathwaite will become just the 10th cricketer to play 100 Tests for West Indies when he takes the field against Australia on Thursday, joining an elite list that includes the likes of Viv Richards, Clive Lloyd, Brian Lara and Gordon Greenidge.

Over the years, Brathwaite has become a cornerstone of West Indies cricket in the longest format, amassing 5943 runs with 12 centuries in 99 Tests, leading the team in 39 of them, facing more deliveries than any other West Indian and earning a spot in the ICC Men’s Test Team of the Year in 2022.

His journey began in 2011 as an 18-year-old debutant, but the belief took root much earlier at just 14, when he confidently declared he would one day play 100 Tests for the West Indies.

“I set that goal when I was probably 14 years old — to play 100 Tests. Now I’m here, 18 years later, playing my hundredth Test for West Indies. I’m very thankful, and I just want to be an inspiration for younger guys to follow,” Kraigg Brathwaite said on the eve of the second Test against Australia.

“I didn’t want to just be another player — I wanted to make an impact.”

It wasn’t the dream debut for Brathwaite back in May 2011 against Pakistan in Basseterre. Though he got off the mark with a boundary, scores of 15 and 0 marked a quiet start to his Test career.

Kraigg Brathwaite receiving his maiden Test cap ahead of his debut against Pakistan in 2011 // West Indies Cricket

By his own admission, it took time for the belief to settle in, but once it did, there was no turning back. A gritty fifty in just his third Test against Bangladesh in Mirpur sparked a run of form, with three more half-centuries coming in his next four matches against top sides like India and Australia.

“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,” he added.

“Pretty much, from my second or third game, I had the belief that I could do it.”

It took Brathwaite three years to notch up his maiden Test century – a composed knock against New Zealand in Port of Spain in 2014 – but it marked a turning point, cementing his place as a dependable presence at the top of the West Indies order.

“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.”

Just a few months after his maiden ton, Kraigg Brathwaite went one better, scoring a brilliant 212 in Kingstown, his first double century in Tests. He capped off a remarkable 2014 with a Boxing Day hundred in South Africa, finishing the year with 701 runs at a stellar average of 77.88, his second-best tally in a calendar year.

At 32, Brathwaite reflected on his journey with gratitude and shared the mantra that has guided his career – dream big, work hard and stay disciplined.

“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 said.

“Whatever it may be, from a young age you can set your goals and targets that you want to achieve in life,” he said.

“Work hard throughout the tough times and the good times. Stay disciplined and never take it for granted.”