"I think of him as the Jamie Vardy of cricket" - Carlos Brathwaite picks 5 players to watch for in The Hundred
West Indies all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite has recently picked five players to watch out for in the upcoming men's edition of The Hundred. Brathwaite included the name of English left-arm wrist spinner Jake Lintott and compared him to Leicester City footballer Jamie Vardy due to the hardships they faced while reaching the top level.
Carlos Brathwaite will be in action on the opening day of the men's tournament when his side Manchester Originals take on the Oval Invincibles today.
While writing in a column for the BBC, Brathwaite picked his Manchester Originals teammates Lockie Ferguson and Phil Salt along with Glenn Phillips (Welsh Fire), Jake Lintott (Southern Brave) and Saqib Mahmood (Oval Invincibles) as the five players to watch out for in The Hundred.
With regards to Jake Lintott, Brathwaite made an intriguing comparison to former England international and Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy. The West Indies all-rounder stated:
"Jake Lintott is a name you may not have heard but he is a player who I believe can have a massive impact in The Hundred. I think of him as the Jamie Vardy of cricket. Much like the Leicester City footballer, Jake played at the lower levels and had to fight to make his way up the leagues and into professional sport. Jake is a left-arm wrist spinner, not a common bowler you'd find which makes him a real challenge to face. He's 28 and this year was his first full season in the domestic T20 Blast."
Carlos Brathwaite and Jake Lintott recently shared a dressing room together for the Birmingham Bears in the T20 Blast.
Carlos Brathwaite explains the secret for success in franchise cricket
The Manchester Originals all-rounder highlighted how players perform their best when they are not playing for their place or contract.
Carlos Brathwaite believes teams that let the players express themselves and make them enjoy the sport usually end up doing well in the tournament. He added:
"As cricketers when you're in an environment to express yourself, it really takes the shackles off. When we were kids in the street we just had a laugh, enjoyed the game and had a passion and love for it but when it becomes a job sometimes you play for your place or a contract. The best franchises and teams are the ones who allow you remember how it was to play like a kid in the street so you rekindle that passion and love."
Carlos Brathwaite played a starring role for West Indies at the last T20 World Cup, where he won the final for his side by smashing four consecutive sixes in the last over.
However, the all-rounder now finds himself out of the West Indies national team, having last made an appearance in the T20Is in August 2019. An impressive outing in The Hundred might bring the 33-year-old back in the scheme of things for selection.