Carlos Brathwaite believes England's treatment of X-factor players not fair
In his interview with BBC Radio, West Indian all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite said that the treatment of players with an X-factor by the England cricket team and the administrators may not always have been fair.
Brathwaite also said that the English way has been quite traditional, one of 'going by the books'. Players with X-factor may not always come into its ambit, and such players are critical for the upliftment of any team.
"While you're hoping that the majority of the team are 75% consistent and they do everything by the book - they are always early, they eat right, they do this and they do that - you do need that rogue. Every team needs that rogue, that X-Factor, that doesn't play by the rules of the book and 'do it my way' type of character," Carlos Brathwaite said.
Carlos Brathwaite expressed concern that fellow Barbadian Jofra Archer may be struggling due to the strength of his personality. Archer may be a player with an X-factor, who may not always "go by the books".
The English pacer was dropped from the England squad for the second test against West Indies after breaching the biosecurity protocols. Some players including captain Joe Root and vice captain Ben Stokes had to come out in support for him, saying he should not be isolated in this difficult time.
It was after this incident that Archer revealed the details of racial abuse that he had faced in various social media platforms as a result of this incident. Carlos Brathwaite felt this was quite unfair, and added;
"I saw on his social media that he was racially abused and, regardless if you use social media or not, that's just not on. His social media is a source of entertainment for me as well, so keep the entertainment coming, but just be wary of a backlash if there is any," Carlos Brathwaite added.
Carlos Brathwaite feels Archer's may not be the first case
Carlos Brathwaite feels that Kevin Pietersen could also have been a victim of such unfair treatment. He was also a player who was considered to be in the 'X-factor' category.
After having a fairly successful stint with the England team, the South African born had a premature end to his career after being dropped from the side post Ashes 2014. This was a result of prolonged issues with the England and Wales Cricket Board and also with certain players within the team.
Carlos Brathwaite made his T20I debut for West Indies in 2011. He is remembered for hitting four consecutive sixes against England in the last over of 2016 World T20 final at Kolkata, winning the trophy for West Indies. He captained the West Indies T20 side from 2016 till 2019.