Dominic Drakes on red-hot Sharjah debut: ‘I've never experienced anything like this'

At last, Dominic Drakes has some happy memories to remember Sharjah by.

The last time he played in the city, the Barbadian pace bowler had ended the evening in hospital. Playing for Gulf Giants in the DP World International League T20 back in February, he face-planted in the outfield in the course of taking a fine diving catch, and suffered concussion.

The bad vibes he had felt for the place stretched back a long way before that, though.

Back in 2008, Drakes’ father, the former West Indies all-rounder Vasbert, served a short-term stint as UAE coach and was based in Sharjah.

Vasbert’s three-month spell in charge is fondly remembered in these parts for both the successes he brough to the national team, as well as his amiable character.

But less so by his son, who was just starting to comprehend what touring life meant for a cricketing father.

“I was starting at school, so when he came over here, that was when I started to understand about him travelling,” Drakes said, after making his one-day international debut for West Indies against UAE on Sunday.

“That was very painful for me. He was over here for a little while and I couldn’t see him. It was very, very painful.”

He said the physical pain of his head injury at the ground five months’ earlier did occur to him at one point during the game against UAE, while he was stationed in the same part of the field.

“I try not to dwell on the past, even though it is something you must remember,” Drakes said.

“I went down on that side to take a catch, there was a 50-50 chance, and I pulled out. I suppose I did have it in the back of my head at that point, but other than that I don’t think about it.”

This was the incident (