The memories of his deceased father have got young West Indian batsman Kevin Wickham going. 23-year-old Wickham’s dad, Herbert, passed away over two years ago, and things haven’t been exactly great for him since, which is totally understandable. It’s something a grieving son has to go through, and no matter how good they are at their craft, there is going to be a temporary struggling phase.
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That phase appears to be over now. Recently, he scored two tons in a first-class match. Playing for Barbados Pride, he scored 153 and 108 not out. With that, he became the third batsman from Barbados to score two tons in a game since the turn of the century. Before him, Kraigg Brathwaite (102 & 122 vs Guyana, 2015) and Ryan Hinds (168 & 150 vs Leeward Islands, 2006) had done that, and both of them represented the West Indies. Which is something Wickham will take a lot of heart from.
Amid the euphoria, he still misses his father, though. “When my father passed, that was the toughest part for me. I was here in Jamaica when I got the news that he wasn’t doing too well, and I left for home, and after returning to playing after the funeral, I wasn’t doing too well on the field because it was really tough,” he told the official website of Cricket West Indies (CWI).
“The guys showed me a lot of support because it was more mental than physical, and having their support kept me above ground and helped me maintain high standards and be where I am supposed to be.
“I think about my dad all the time because he was very supportive, he never really watched the games by coming to the grounds, but he would always listen to the radio, a more old, schooled way.
“Every time I came home, he could tell me how much I scored, what I should and shouldn’t have done. To this day, I miss him because I miss having those conversations, and when I’m not doing too well, I try to think back to his advice,” he added.
‘First-innings century very special’
Wickham also played in the 2022 Under-19 World Cup. He has since been tipped to be one of the up-and-coming players in the Caribbean region. There has been a little hiccup in recent years, but on the evidence of his recent form, he is ready to live up to expectations.
Talking about his twin centuries, Wickham said: “The first innings century was very special to me because that is now my highest first class score, so that is a very good achievement because I came at the stage where the team was in a bit of trouble, so my aim was to stay at the crease for as long as possible and get a good total for the team.
“The second one I found myself in a similar position where the team was in a bit of trouble, but the mindset was the same: get the team in a good position.”