Dear Mr. Shimron Hetmyer,
NOW that you are on an unscheduled hiatus, it is perhaps as good a time as any for reflection. ìHetty,î it is a consensus that you are blessed with congenital athleticism and more particularly with a natural batting skillset that has propelled you thus far to the highest levels of the game of cricket. As they say, your considerable natural talent is Godís gift to you, but what you do with it is your gift to God. That of course is a presumptuous statement in view of the fact that one may not know you personally and therefore not sure of your religion or your belief system. That notwithstanding, it is undeniable that your natural physical skill as it relates to batsmanship separates you from say the normal population. And so we the keen observers and rabid fans of our beloved sport of cricket are grateful that those tasked by Cricket West Indies (CWI) to identify††such talent and provide them with the opportunity to realise their full potential,††saw fit to deliver you upon the world stage.

Though your initial foray into the highest level of the game appeared premature, subsequent performances on the world stage in all genres have convinced us that you belong there. However, keen observers of the game would justifiably suggest that your performances have been sporadic and spasmodic. In todayës international cricket world you could parlay your skills for immense financial benefit for the long haul and forge a successful career, but you must produce consistently. To some, it would be frustrating to see your rare talent not maximised, only because of a lack of dedication and guidance.
From my vantage point you Mr. Hetmyer are naturally tailor-made for todayís game, but you must work at your game daily and place the highest price on your wicket, much like your countryman Shivnarine Chanderpaul did throughout his career, without necessarily compromising your natural instincts and flair. There once was a young man whom you might have heard of named Carl Hooper.

Evidently he was born to play the game and batted with such ease and skilled abandon that it was once written that if batting were a beauty contest, Hooper would have been Ms. World. The stylish right-hander was vaulted into Test cricket, completing his maiden Test century on his first overseas tour against a formidable opposition.††Mr. Hooper would tell you as he told me that he thought that it was all downhill from there. Needless to say, this gifted young man found out the hard way that he needed to rededicate himself to working hard on a daily basis to continuously achieve his full potential.

One does not know what you are told in coaching sessions as you ply your trade for CWI, but it is frustrating to the casual observer and fan if you will, to see your impetuosity precipitate your downfall, innings after innings, to the detriment of not only your career but of the team. Your manifestation of frustration at a missed opportunity of hitting a bad ball to the boundary is instructive. You must recalibrate your outlook on batting. Abandon or certainly rethink the concept of ëone size fits allí in international cricket. Test cricket is remarkably different from One Day Internationals, which is notably dissimilar to T20s. Mr. Hetmyer, you are blessed with the ability to succeed in all of the above.

Needless to say, it was appalling to watch you waste an opportunity to score your first Test century in Bangladesh as you swung wildly when on 93. One more patient over and you would have achieved that†coveted milestone. Sir, patience really is a virtue and I strongly suggest that you adopt the 4 ëFís principle ñFitness ñ be fit at all times, it helps you to think clearly; Familiarity ñ be cognisant of prevailing conditions and the oppositionís scheme of attack as they constantly try to work you out; Focus ñ your concentration on every ball must be unwavering and laser-like; Fortitude ñ it is imperative that you be mentally tough to cope with the game of 11 to 1 ñ all of them against you. And at every opportunity available to you, do watch videos of innings of Virat Kohli, Kane Williamson, Viv Richards, and your countryman Clive Lloyd. Best of luck young man.
Regards
Cosmo Hamilton