Exclusive | Shimron Hetmyer: ‘Conversations with Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard helped me become a better six-hitter’ | Cricket News

Shimron Hetmyer has travelled the cricketing world, playing in different leagues. In an exclusive interview with the TimesofIndia.com, the West Indies and Desert Vipers star reflects on the modern-day challenges cricketers face — from constant travel to the mental toll of shifting time zones and cultures. Having been part of the ILT20 since its start, Hetmyer also explains why the league continues to grow because of the competitive pitches in the UAE, the diverse bowling attacks.

Hetmyer opens up about the questions young batters constantly ask him about clearing the ropes and the swashbuckling batter breaks down the science behind power-hitting, and how his career was shaped by advice from Caribbean greats like Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard. Hetmyer also discusses the tough but rewarding transition from a top-order role to being a finisher, a job that demands clarity and fearlessness at the crease.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW!From mastering body balance to understanding boundary options under pressure, Hetmyer provides insight into the craft behind Caribbean flair. Beneath the sixes and swagger lies a method rooted in fundamentals, discipline, and smart training — the unseen grind that turns raw power into match-winning impact.Excerpts:

You have been a globetrotter when it comes to playing franchise cricket. If you could, talk about the challenges modern-day cricketers face with the amount of cricket they play?

I guess it’s more so to do with just leaving home, that’s one. It’s never comfortable leaving home, or it’s never good leaving home and having to adjust to a different time zone and everything.

CARDIFF, WALES – JUNE 01: Shimron Hetmyer of West Indies looks on ahead of the 2nd Metro Bank ODI match between England and West Indies at Sophia Gardens on June 01, 2025 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)

You have been playing in the ILT20 from its inception. How do you see the growth of this league?

So far the tournament has been pretty good. I’ve been here since the beginning. It’s been a really fun tournament to be a part of, fun players to be around as well. This year I’m in a different team as well, but I’m happy to just be a part of the tournament.This tournament is completely different. The pitches here are completely different to the ones in the Caribbean, because here it just nips around just a little bit more. With the amount of grass and stuff on the wickets, and the difference in the outfield sizes and everything, and coming up against some really good international bowlers and local bowlers that you’ve never seen before, that also poses a different challenge. As a player on the whole, you have to find ways to adapt and adjust to different things, to different pitches, different players and so on, so I’m just really up for the challenge really.

Be it the IPL or any other league, what questions do young batters ask Shimron Hetmyer the most?

It’s mostly about hitting sixes really. In this league, at home, in IPL, in whatever league that I’m a part of, most of the time that’s a question that guys come up with. I guess it’s a lot of practice really, because I wasn’t someone that was consistent in hitting sixes. I was more so someone that was more of a top-order player more in the beginning than I am now really, so I still think it’s about just making sure that you’re getting to the right positions and holding your shape for as long as possible, because I have spoken to some of the best hitters in the world. I’ve had conversations with Andre Russell and Kieron Pollard and those guys already and they’re like, the best thing you can do is just stay as still as possible and just hold your shape. That’s the main thing.

JAIPUR, INDIA – MAY 18: Shimron Hetmyer of Rajasthan Royals play a shot during the 2025 IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on May 18, 2025, in Jaipur, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

The transition from being a top-order batter to a finisher. Can you talk about the transition?

The transition was a little bit tough, to be fair. The first time I was in the position where I had to transition from being a number one and three to five and six, it was tough for me. I didn’t really know how to go about doing it in a sense, but it’s a good thing I had some really good guys that I could just lean on to find out how they go about doing it and then try to just picture that into my game personally. So far it’s been really fruitful for me.I’m really enjoying the role that I have right now, which is just going and trying to hit as many balls as I possibly can for six or for four really. To be fair, I can’t really complain too much because this is the role put in front of me and it’s just for me to do my best to make sure that I get the job done, full stop. I guess there are some good times and some bad times whilst doing it because when you go out, you’re always thinking about your boundary options and what ball you could take down and stuff like that really. So it’s just for you to keep an open mind when walking out about it. Just try to not overthink it and just keep a clear mind and just try to execute as much as possible and when the ball’s in your area, just try as much as possible to hit it for six.

JAIPUR, INDIA – MAY 18: Shimron Hetmyer of Rajasthan Royals play a shot during the 2025 IPL match between Rajasthan Royals and Punjab Kings at Sawai Mansingh Stadium on May 18, 2025, in Jaipur, India. (Photo by Pankaj Nangia/Getty Images)

When it comes to Caribbean players, it is all about brute power, the flair, but what is the method behind this six-hitting madness?

In the Caribbean, because most of the time we don’t have the true pitches that we would have outside of the Caribbean, we try as much as possible to work on when they’re just trying to put it away. It’s a lot of training behind the scenes that a lot of people don’t get to see really. A lot of people are not really interested because in practice, even if it goes for six, it doesn’t really count. It’s mostly to do with our training back home, I guess. A lot of guys just go into the nets and we still do the basics, which is just making sure that you’re in a good position and practicing as much as possible.

Practice actual batting first, just to hit the ball on the ground, try to get singles, fours, twos, and threes if possible. Then to expand at the end, because like I said earlier, it’s all about us as players just making sure that when you’re trying to do these things or when you’re trying to hit sixes and boundaries and so on, you just make sure that you’re in a good enough position that even if it’s not there for you to hit for a boundary, you could still either hit it for a single or a double. And just making sure that you’re actually keeping your eyes on the ball. I think that’s kind of like one of the biggest things because a lot of guys try to hit balls for sixes, but their heads are all over the place and stuff like that. Their eyes are not really on the ball, and they are not really focusing just on the ball and trying to see how far they can hit it.