Dwayne Bravo concedes his international career is all but over
What's the story?
Dwayne Bravo may have played his last game for West Indies. The all-rounder, whose struggle with form, fitness and the Windies cricket board has been the highlight of the latter part of his international career, doesn't see himself returning to international cricket.
"I am looking at these tournaments [T20 leagues] as a chance to continue playing cricket. As long as I can play cricket, I am happy. As far as internationals are concerned, I have been dropped from the West Indies team", Bravo was quoted as saying.
"I was dropped while I was fit. I don't think now, at 34, it would make any sense coming back. I just need to see what is left for me, for my fans to see Dwayne Bravo playing cricket. That is my priority", he added.
In case you didn't know...
A talented all-rounder earmarked for future success as a youngster, Bravo was drafted into the international side as a 21-year-old, debuting in both Test and ODIs against England in 2004. However, over the years, it was the shortest format that made him stand out as a cricketer, and he went on to be part of both the 2012 and 2016 World T20 winning West Indian sides.
Bravo announced his Test retirement in 2015, concentrating solely on the shorter forms.
The heart of the matter
In December 2016, Bravo tore his hamstring during the Big Bash in Australia, which forced him out of cricket for seven months. Before that, Bravo had not represented Windies in a Test since 2010 and an ODI since the India tour in 2014.
The second most-capped T20 player in the world, Bravo has been a regular feature in multiple T20 franchises over the years, most notably the Chennai Super Kings, the Lahore Qalandars, the Melbourne Renegades and the Chittagong Kings.
What's next?
He is currently part of the Maratha Arabians side, playing under the captaincy of Virender Sehwag in the inaugural T10 league. He was drafted in as a last-minute replacement for Kumar Sangakkara. The tournament will go on until December 17, and Bravo will most likely represent the Renegades in the Big Bash thereafter.
Author's take
A spirited all-rounder who can set the field on fire with his infectious enthusiasm, Bravo has been a trusted commodity in the T20 market, contributing in all three departments with ease.
His run-ins with the Windies board, where he acted as a spokesperson for the players in 2014, resulted in him losing out on a place for the 2015 World Cup, and the 2016 World T20 win was the only saving grace in an international career that plummeted drastically in the last two years.
When his legacy is remembered, Bravo's T20 career will, perhaps, overshadow his exploits for West Indies.