Carlos Brathwaite Reminisces T20 World Cup 2016 Heroics

After his spectacular performance in the 2016 T20 World Cup final against Ben Stokes, Carlos Brathwaite seemed destined for cricketing stardom. Dubbed ‘Remember the Name’ for his heroic feat, Brathwaite was expected to be the next big superstar in West Indies cricket and beyond. However, contrary to these expectations, his career took a downturn just two years later. By 2018, Brathwaite found himself in a troubling place, admitting he had lost his passion for the game that once defined him. Reflecting on this challenging period, Brathwaite disclosed that while he never officially retired from cricket, he had indeed fallen out of love with it. It was a sports psychologist who played a pivotal role in his journey back to the sport he cherished. Through their sessions, Brathwaite was reminded of the fundamental reason he started playing cricket in the first instance — the sheer joy and love for the game itself.

The intervention was transformative. It helped Brathwaite rediscover his passion and purpose on the field. He gradually began to rebuild his relationship with cricket, drawing strength from the core motivations that initially propelled him into the sport. This introspective journey not only revitalized Brathwaite’s career but also provided him with a renewed perspective on handling the pressures and expectations of professional cricket.

“The thing is, I went through a bit of a rough patch around 2018,” he says. “I fell out of love with the game. It never quite got to the point where I wanted to call it quits but I needed to reset,” Brathwaite told Yahoo Sports.

“I remember talking to a sports psychologist a while afterwards and he said: ‘What are your goals?’ It took me back to when I was a young boy and my mum asked me the same question. I said I want to play for Barbados, captain Barbados, play for West Indies, captain West Indies and win a World Cup,” he added. 

Achieving remarkable success at a young age had a profound impact on Brathwaite, contributing to his disillusionment with cricket. Unlike most cricketers whose crowning achievements come towards the twilight of their careers, Brathwaite experienced his extraordinary moment early on. This early success created a unique challenge for him — knowing that reaching such heights again might be elusive.

At 35 years old, Brathwaite reflected on how this early peak led him to reassess his relationship with the game. It prompted a soul-searching journey as he navigated the pressures and expectations that followed his initial triumphs. Despite the setbacks and inner struggles, Brathwaite's determination to rediscover his passion ultimately guided him back to cricket, albeit through a renewed perspective shaped by his early accomplishments.

“A lot of people play sport in pursuit of making that one amazing thing happen. Mine came closer to the beginning of my career than the end. I had to come to terms with the fact that I was never going to do anything on the same scale, on that same global stage,” Brathwaite added.