Young West Indies batter Kevin Wickham says the impact of losing his father, Herbert, has stayed with him\u2014but he believes the worst of his tough spell is now behind him. The 23-year-old\u2019s father passed away more than two years ago, and Wickham admits that, even for someone committed to the game, grief can create a difficult period that takes time to move past.<\/p>\n
That difficult phase appears to be easing. Recently, Wickham struck two centuries in a first-class outing, representing Barbados Pride. He made 153 and followed it with an unbeaten 108 in the second innings. The double ton has also placed him among a select group: he became the third batsman from Barbados to record two centuries in a single match since the start of the century. Kraigg Brathwaite achieved the feat with scores of 102 and 122 against Guyana in 2015, while Ryan Hinds followed with 168 and 150 versus the Leeward Islands back in 2006. Wickham said that fact resonates with him, because it connects his achievement to West Indies cricket history.<\/p>\n
Even with the celebrations, Wickham says he still carries the loss every day. Speaking to the official Cricket West Indies website, he described the moment he received the news and how it affected his playing and mindset. \u201cWhen my father passed, that was the toughest part for me. I was here in Jamaica when I got the news that he wasn\u2019t doing too well, and I left for home. After returning to playing following the funeral, I wasn\u2019t doing too well on the field because it was really tough,\u201d Wickham said.<\/p>\n
He also explained that teammates helped him through the mental strain. \u201cThe guys showed me a lot of support because it was more mental than physical, and having their support kept me above ground and helped me maintain high standards and be where I am supposed to be,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n
Wickham further recalled how his father supported his career in his own way, even without attending matches. \u201cI think about my dad all the time because he was very supportive. He never really watched the games by coming to the grounds, but he would always listen to the radio, a more old, schooled way. Every time I came home, he could tell me how much I scored, what I should and shouldn\u2019t have done. To this day, I miss him because I miss having those conversations, and when I\u2019m not doing too well, I try to think back to his advice,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
With the twin knocks\u2014153 and 108 not out\u2014Wickham has not only underlined his batting class, but also highlighted how personal resilience and cricketing focus can return together, even after the hardest losses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Young West Indies batter Kevin Wickham says the impact of losing his father, Herbert, has stayed with him\u2014but he believes the worst of his tough…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":4424,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_yoast_wpseo_title":"Kevin Wickham: IPL & West Indies Batter After Father\u2019s Death","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Kevin Wickham opens up on turning grief into drive after his father\u2019s death, sharing how two centuries in first-class cricket signal a fresh start.","footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ipl"],"yoast_head":"\n