Dwayne Bravo lashes out at the WICB
Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo, who has been sent on an exile since the much maligned abandoned tour of India in October last year, has criticized the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) for its poor relationship with players, and the lack of facilities in the country for the development of cricket.
Bravo, who would play for the Melbourne Renegades in the Australian domestic T20 league, The Big Bash, watched his side from the sidelines as it sunk to a humiliating defeat by an innings and 212 runs.
He says that ‘too much politics’ had maligned their game and that the team has the talent to excel at the highest level, but there was just ‘too much going on.’
The relationship between the WICB and the players hit a new low last year in October, when the team, of which Bravo was the captain, decided to pull out of an ongoing tour to India, with an ODI, two T20s and three Tests still left to be played.
The all-rounder was sacked as the captain after the incident, and wasn’t selected for the tour to South Africa that followed as well as for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
"Those in charge have to look into themselves," Dwayne Bravo said. "We don't have proper grounds, proper nets or a proper academy. All these things are a part of our downfall."
The relations have further deteriorated since, as the board has suspended the team’s coach Phil Simmons, after he criticized the selection process for the recently concluded Sri Lanka tour. He was, however, reinstated later.
"The relationship between players, board members and management staff -- it needs to get stronger and tighter," Bravo said. "They need to have a lot more honesty."