Time for Johnson Charles to put on a show

St. Lucia has a tiny population – around 180,000 – and its economy is geared around tourism. It is not a traditional cricketing hub and until 20 years ago, it had never produced a West Indies men’s player. Mindoo Phillip was the island’s most celebrated player of the 20th century but was never picked by West Indies: “It remains a raging debate even to this day why he was never, ever chosen,” the St. Lucia Star reported in 2019.

In that context, it is truly extraordinary that St. Lucia has produced two of the eight men to have won multiple T20 World Cup finals, and even more so that they could combine to win a third this month. “It must be a surreal feeling for Daren,” Powell said. “It’s an opportunity for us to put on a show for the St. Lucians.”

If Sammy is the local celebrity – he has a designated parking space at the stadium and was in the crowd for Australia’s win over Scotland on Sunday night – then Charles is not too far behind. At the same time that the Beausejour Cricket Ground was rebranded in Sammy’s honour, the main stand on the west side was named the Johnson Charles Stand.

Charles splits opinion among West Indies fans more generally and West Indies’ unique position as a multi-national team means that whispers of cronyism and regional politics are never far away – no matter Charles’ form in franchise cricket, or the fact that his recall predates Sammy’s appointment as head coach. Some supporters are already calling for Shai Hope to replace him.

“It’s just a case of us telling him to be Johnson Charles, be his natural self,” Powell said. “If he’s an aggressive player, we expect him to play aggressive. We know with that aggression, at some point, he will fail and at some point, he will come good. We know that Johnson is definitely a match-winner for us.”

He will continue to open alongside Brandon King, who is more of a touch player. “It’s for us now to support him,” Powell said. “It’s for us to give him that additional backing that he needs and I think everyone is behind him to come good tomorrow, or when he gets the opportunity in future games.”

It is ominous for their Super Eight opponents – England, USA and South Africa – that West Indies have qualified without putting together a complete performance and with nothing riding on Monday’s match, it is an opportunity for players to build confidence before the second phase. Powell wants them to make use of it: “Now it’s time for Johnson Charles to put on a show for his fellow St. Lucians,” he said.