“You don’t want that whenever anyone says something you lose the message because you use race as a filter.”
Matt Roller07-Jul-2020Given the extent to which he is associated with Ian Bishop’s famous line – ‘Remember the name’ – it comes as no surprise to hear who Carlos Brathwaite has sounded out for advice ahead of his first experience in the commentary box.Brathwaite’s experience behind the microphone extends to a few appearances as a pundit during the Regional Super50 – “20 minutes here or there” – but he is now preparing to cover West Indies’ Test series in England for the BBC, as part of the Test Match Special team and as a guest on their new highlights show.”Bish was fantastic. I reached out to him for some words of advice and encouragement, and he made me feel a little bit more confident in myself to be honest,” Brathwaite tells ESPNcricinfo. “I’m still nervous. It’s like preparing to face your first ball – no matter how many balls you’ve faced in the nets, those nerves are always there.”Brathwaite travelled down to the Ageas Bowl on Tuesday afternoon after spending lockdown in Oxford, where his wife Jessica works at the John Radcliffe Hospital. Because of her ethnicity, she worked from home throughout lockdown, but would still go to see low-risk patients, and he admits that it “hit home a lot harder” being so close to the NHS and knowing the risks that his wife’s friends and colleagues faced.He has used his public profile to help raise awareness of the Black Lives Matter movement during lockdown, speaking at a march in Oxford and attending protests in London last month. He made headlines last week when he described taking the knee as a “cosmetic” reaction to an issue that requires a legislative and societal response.This month, Brathwaite will be the new face in a BBC commentary box that has until recently been home to Geoffrey Boycott – who was forced to apologise during West Indies’ last tour to the UK in 2017 after suggesting he would have been knighted if he had “blacked up” – and has for some time been a space dominated by white men.
“I know in sport that it is prevalent. Black players are seen as players that can give you height, steel, strength. But when it comes to guile, you look more towards white players.”CARLOS BRATHWAITE
Last week, a report was published which revealed a “clear and significant” problem with racial bias in English football commentary, which has already led to introspection within the industry through unconscious bias training. The study found that white players are substantially more likely to be praised for their skill and intelligence compared to black players, who are reduced to pace, power, and other physical attributes. Brathwaite says he recognises a similar phenomenon in cricket.”I don’t want to speak out of turn just for the sake of saying it. Obviously there’s Bish, there’s Pommie Mbangwa who I rate very highly as a commentator, but there aren’t that many black commentators you can single out. With Michael Holding, I could probably count three.”I don’t know the space of commentary and media well enough to speak to their pathway or their individual rise, but I know in sport that it is prevalent. Black players are seen as players that can give you height, steel, strength. But when it comes to guile, you look more towards white players.”As a football fan, it’s something that I see. How many No. 10s or creative players do we see in the Premier League who are black? A good example would be John Obi Mikel, who came from Nigeria and the Under-20 World Cup as a No. 10 and got turned into a defensive midfielder by Chelsea. I can’t say exactly why, but my perception of it is: big, tall, strong, and black – you should run long and hard.”There is that perception and stereotyping in sport. Hopefully with the Black Lives Matter movement and the awareness of the racial bias that’s happening in the world today, it’s brought that to light and more black players will be seen as intelligent as well.”Carlos Brathwaite shapes to throw a ball•BCCIIn English cricket, there has been a noticeable, but often uncomfortable shift in the tone and language used by fans and in the media since Jofra Archer’s first international call-up at the start of last summer; never before has a player’s “body language” been up for discussion to such an extent.”Jof is laid back, but this all boils down to respect,” Brathwaite says. “I’ve heard it myself: I’ve been at franchises where I’ve tried to work my socks off as best I could, but as soon as you sit down they say: ‘ah, you’re resting, you’re relaxing.’ You might be early for a team meeting and they’ll be like: ‘I’m surprised to see you early’. Well, I’ve been early for the last 25 team meetings. Why is it a surprise?”It is a stereotype. It isn’t always racial, but traditionally persons from the Caribbean are more laid back than elsewhere. In England everything moves so quickly, so everyone is just on edge to do, do, do. In the Caribbean we relax and take more time out. I don’t always think it’s racially biased, but it’s about using those bits of information to then listen to the follow-up remarks and retorts in the conversation.”I don’t think every single thing that’s said about Jofra – positive or negative – has a connotation to his race or his colour. But it’s about listening to how people speak and what they follow up with when they speak about him.”And what about another trope that will inevitably come up on this tour whenever a West Indies batsman hits a six: ‘natural Caribbean flair’? “If you unpack it, it can be considered a stereotype, [the idea that] we just walk out of the womb, pick a bat up and hit sixes,” he says. “That we didn’t do the same amount of running, pumping weights that other guys do, that we’re just born with biceps and muscles to hit the ball out the park.”It doesn’t have to be racially motivated: if you can say there’s ten Caribbean players in the IPL and nine of them hit sixes or bowl fast, then fine. But it’s when that conversation continues and goes down a path of subjecting the person because of race. You don’t want that whenever anyone says something that you lose the message because you use race as a filter. It’s important to be aware of that potential filter, and to be cognisant of it, but not to always use it as a yardstick to shy away from criticism.”
“I’ve been at franchises where I’ve tried to work my socks off as best I could, but as soon as you sit down they say: ‘ah, you’re resting, you’re relaxing.’ You might be early for a team meeting and they’ll be like: ‘I’m surprised to see you early’. Well, I’ve been early for the last 25 team meetings. Why is it a surprise?”CARLOS BRATHWAITE
After this series, Brathwaite will travel to Trinidad for the CPL, after being signed by Jamaica Tallawahs in last week’s draft. He hopes to use the tournament as “a springboard” to get back into the West Indies’ T20I team, having lost both the captaincy and his place in the side at the end of last year.He has not been in regular contact with Phil Simmons, the head coach, and says instead: “It’s been up to me to go on a journey where I’ve been self-reflecting, and get to a place mentally and physically where I’m happy. I’m ready and raring to go, and I want to make it back into the team to represent West Indies at another World Cup – and hopefully help us defend the cup.”For now, though, his focus is on the Test series. He is reluctant to take any kind of credit for Ben Stokes’ journey from that night in Kolkata to captaining England for the first time this week, but says that cricket “needs Ben Stokes-type characters, who ruffle feathers and are there with bat or ball in the 90th over of a day’s play”.And while he does not think that the Stokes v Jason Holder narrative will necessarily determine the series, he hopes that West Indies’ captain can demonstrate why he is the No. 1-ranked allrounder by the ICC with the world’s eyes on him.”I don’t think they consider it to be: ‘oh, Jason made 70, I need to make 100′ or anything. It’s just two very good players trying to be the best they can for their teams. But it’ll be a good rivalry: Stokes’ story has been told and he’s received all those accolades, but I don’t think Jason has received the recognition that he should.”It’s important in this series for him to come onto Stokes’ turf and show off, and prove why he’s No. 1. People in the Caribbean will have seen why he’s risen to No. 1, but I don’t think the wider world has appreciated it. The stage is set.”