Alick Athanaze - West Indies - Batsman

Having idolized the great Brian Lara, the influence of the great southpaw is evident in some of the flashy drives that Alick Athanaze plays from time to time. Hailing from Dominica, Athanaze was on the receiving end of hurricane Maria in 2017 as a part of his roof fell off displacing all his bedroom furniture and cricket gear a day before he was to leave for a training camp in St Lucia. All communication to Dominica were cut off for the next few weeks, but Athanaze used these incidents as motivation to continue his foray in cricket.

Athanaze was the second highest run getter in the 2018 U19 World Cup, staying behind only a certain Shubman Gill. He continued to impress in the domestic circuit, and was the leading run scorer in the 2022-23 West Indies Championship, which was their four day tournament. Athanaze made his Test debut against India in a home Test in Dominica. He was the leading run getter in that Test for West Indies, impressing many with his strokeplay. Earlier in the month, he also got a chance to make his ODI debut against UAE, and claimed the record for the joint fastest fifty on debut, as he scored an impressive 65 runs.

Athanaze was part of the Test squad that drew the series 1-1 against Australia in 2024. Later in the year, he got his first fifty in Tests in an impressive knock of 82 at Trent Bridge against England, which helped West Indies take the lead after the first innings. Athanaze was picked by Barbados Royals in the 2023 Caribbean Premier League, and was retained for the 2024 season as well.