The magnificence of Carlos Brathwaite

We know about the endlessly jaw-dropping greatness of Ben Stokes (a peerage soon, surely), the furious power of a supercharged Stuart Broad and even Joe Root’s increasingly skilful captaincy. But another highlight of the brilliant Test series against West Indies was the presence of Carlos Brathwaite as a Test Match Special summariser and general benign presence.

Always funny, astute, and thoroughly likeable, with the bonus of a magnificent voice, Brathwaite — the man who smashed Stokes for four successive sixes to win the 2016 T20 World Cup — has been a marvel. He even read the shipping forecast, and no greater tribute can there be in British broadcasting.

What’s more, he lives in my home town, Oxford, where his wife works at the John Radcliffe hospital. He has been on anti-racism marches in the city, speaking at one. ‘We just want to stand up and be heard,’ he told the Daily Telegraph.