Who is Shimron Hetmyer?

West Indian batsman Shimron Hetmyer made an excellent 81 as he top-scored in the first innings of the West Indies’ 381-run trouncing of England in the first Test in Barbados.

In that innings, the left-hander showed that he has all the attributes to become the lynchpin of the West Indies batting line-up for many years to come. Batting in a floppy hat, reminiscent of the likes of Richie Richardson and Clive Lloyd, he strutted out to the crease with all the verve and purpose of many great Caribbean batsman from years gone by and proceeded to counter-attack.

For many across the world, this was Hetmyer’s ‘coming-out party’ but he has been in and around the West Indian setup for nearly two years since making his Test debut against Pakistan in April 2017.

While other members of that under 19s side, such as Keemo Paul and Alzarri Joseph, have also gone on to represent the senior team, Hetmyer is perhaps the most talented of the group.

Like so many other West Indians, he is an outstanding limited-overs player, but unlike many of them Hetmyer is attempting to bring his limited-overs form into five-day cricket.

In the 2018 Caribbean Premier League, Hetmyer made waves when he finished the tournament as the highest-scoring domestic player, with 440 runs at an average of 40.00. This form, coupled with an excellent limited-overs tour of India for the West Indies, secured him an IPL contract with the Virat Kohli-led Royal Challengers Bangalore worth approximately $596,000.