T20 World Cup 2021: Ian Bishop reveals the story behind the famous "Remember the Name" call
Former West Indies pacer and commentator Ian Bishop revealed the story behind his famous final over call during the 2016 ICC World T20 (now T20 World Cup). He cried out the words “remember the name” as Carlos Brathwaite powered West Indies to their second world title in the format through a final over blitzkrieg against England.
The term has resonated throughout the cricketing world ever since. Pundits, broadcasters and fans have used the term to denote memorable efforts on the field of cricket ever since.
In a video uploaded on the official T20 World Cup Twitter handle, Bishop recounted the story behind how the call came about. He attended a private function in Kolkata where a question was put to him about the player to watch out for in the final, and Carlos Brathwaite was his answer.
“The day before the final, I went to a function in Kolkata, businessman’s function. We had to have a question and answer session. One of the questions was, are there any players, apart from the obvious ones, in the West Indies team in the final that we should look at. I eliminated a few players, the Gayles, the Badrees, etc. And I said, Carlos Brathwaite. He is built like a house, he is bowling well, he could be a game-changer.”
“I subconsciously remembered what I had said about Carlos the day before, to look out for this fella, and I was kind of speaking to them, “remember the name,” Ian Bishop said.
West Indies looked well behind England in the game going into the final over. Carlos Brathwaite, relatively unknown at the international stage, was on strike for the final over with the target still 19 runs away. But his inexperience didn't matter as Brathwaite hit Ben Stokes for four consecutive sixes to clinch the title.
🗣️ “I sort of, subconsciously, remembered what I’d said about Carlos the day before...”
Five years on from Carlos Brathwaite’s 2016 #T20WorldCup Final moment, Ian Bishop reveals the story behind THAT famous final over call. https://t.co/iosCrfy3mr
"I was thrust into that position" - Ian Bishop says he wasn't supposed to call the final over
Ian Bishop revealed that he wasn’t supposed to call that final over. Fellow commentator and Englishman David Lloyd was in the lead and he gave the mic to Bishop once the scores were level after the third six in the over.
“I was scared,” Ian Bishop recalls. “I didn’t want the moment. I’ve always said that. David Lloyd was on call lead. I did not want it. He handed it over to me and I was scared when he did that. All of a sudden, I was thrust into that position.”
A lot was happening around West Indies cricket at that point. Skipper Daren Sammy had accused the Cricket Board of a lack of monetary support for the team soon after the victory.
6, 6, 6, 6 - #OnThisDay in 2016, Carlos Brathwaite wrote his name into #WT20 folklore to help West Indies win the Final v England https://t.co/b8fRDTqQW9
Ian Bishop stated that there was a fire burning inside the team and emotion poured out as Brathwaite hit the final six.
“The West Indies team had been through a lot. There was sort of a fire burning in them. When that moment came, and Carlos did what he did, it was just the passion that came out.”
West Indies will commence their title defense at the 2021 T20 World Cup with the opening match of the Super 12 stage against 2016 runners-up England.