Darren Bravo steps away from cricket after being overlooked from WI squad for England ODIs: I lived my dream
Veteran batter Darren Bravo took to social media to announce his decision to step back from West Indies cricket after being overlooked by the selectors for the One Day International series against England due to his age.
Notably, Bravo was not selected for the ODI series despite being the highest run-scorer in the Super50 and a key batsman in regional tournaments for the past few years.
Bravo has been one of the most prolific run scorers in Caribbean cricket over the last four years, averaging 96.2, 65.0, 48, and 83.2 runs per inning and also delivered an outstanding performance with the bat to lead the Red Force to victory in the recently concluded CG United Super50 Cup Tournament. The 34-year-old WI batter was awarded the Golden Bat after hitting 416 runs with a best of 139 not out and a table-topping average of 83.2, which was higher than any other batsman chosen for the WI’s ODI series against England.
Darren, who is also Dwayne Bravo’s brother, took to Instagram to express his disappointment, stating that he had been left in a ‘very dark place’ due to the lack of communication from the selectors
“I’ve taken some time to ponder and wonder what’s my next step moving forward as a cricketer. At this point in my career it’s not easy or should I say it takes a lot to continue to find the energy, the passion,commitment and discipline to be able to perform to the best of my ability and put myself in a position to make my return to international cricket. Without any level communication I’ve been left in a very dark place,” Bravo wrote in his statement on Instagram.
Bravo remarked that if he couldn’t secure a place in any of the three teams representing the region across multiple formats, it was clear that his time was up. However, he clarified that he was not giving up, but merely stepping away to make room for emerging talent.
“At the moment there’s three teams representing the region in multiple formats/series. That’s approximately 40-45 players and if I can’t be in any of these teams after competing in our regional tournaments and scoring runs,therefore they are basically telling me that the writing is on the wall. I’m not giving up but I believe it’s best to step away just for a bit and maybe make some room for a young and upcoming talent. I will end by wishing each and everyone all the very best. “I’ve lived my dream,” Bravo added.
Bravo concluded his statement by wishing everyone the best and expressing his satisfaction at having lived his dream.
West Indies ODI SQUAD
Shai Hope (captain), Alzarri Joseph (vice-captain), Alick Athanaze, Yannic Cariah, Keacy Carty, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Matthew Forde, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Gudakesh Motie, Kjorn Ottley, Sherfane Rutherford, Romario Shepherd, Oshane Thomas.