‘The nerves went away when I got my first runs’ - Alick Athanaze after slamming joint-fastest half-century on ODI debut

West Indies opener Alick Athanaze admitted that he was nervous during his debut in the third ODI against the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Friday, June 9. Notably, the West Indies comprehensively brushed aside UAE by four wickets and 89 balls to spare to complete a 3-0 whitewash at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.

After a solid bowling performance, West Indies restricted the Muhammad Waseem-led UAE to a meagre 184 runs in 36.1 overs. In reply, Athanaze clobbered the joint-fastest half-century on ODI debut, tied with India’s Krunal Pandya. With three sixes and seven boundaries, Athanaze notched up his fifty off mere 26 balls. Following the successful chase on his debut, the cricketer stated that he was quite nervous but eventually got into the groove when his first runs came along.

"I was a bit nervous actually, but the nerves went away when I got my first runs and it was good. It was a really good experience [on debut]. [I] haven't batted much in the night, so it was a first for me actually. But normally that's how I play in the powerplay - I always look to get the team off to a good start. As a young player, it's always good to be in a winning team and it gives you the confidence to go out and express yourself,” Athanaze was quoted as saying by ESPNcricinfo.

His innings drew to a conclusion after scoring 65 off 45 balls, featuring nine fours and three sixes. Athanaze further added that his conversations with the legendary Brian Lara, who was the team's performance mentor, mainly revolved around improving his game to judge the bowlers' lengths and stay a step ahead of them. 

"For me, it has been really good. Basically, what we spoke about was judging lengths and trying to get ahead of the bowler. It worked really nicely, and I got myself into some good positions and it was really good to bat out there tonight,” he added.

Meanwhile, West Indies will head to Zimbabwe for the crucial ODI World Cup Qualifiers, slated to kickstart Sunday, June 18. The side will be gunning to obtain their berth in the 2023 ODI World Cup which will be played in India during October-November.