IPL 2020: 'Don't judge a player by his age, judge him by his performance,' says Dwayne Bravo
Dwayne Bravo believes that a player should be evaluated by his performances on the field and not by his age. He stated that age is just a number and added that the performances of a lot of players have gotten better with age.
T20 cricket was initially thought to be a game for young players. However, as time evolved, many players in their thirties have become world-beaters in the format.
As Dwayne Bravo suggested during an interview with ESPNCricinfo, it is probably a myth that T20 cricket is meant for the youth. He said:
“Anyone who challenges or questions our age - I don't think anyone of us, our performance has dipped or dropped because of our age. As a matter of fact, most of us even perform just as good or even better. Age is just a number. Don't judge a player by his age, but judge him by his performance and his ability to continue to play.”
Players like Imran Tahir (41), Chris Gayle (40), Shoaib Malik (38) and Lasith Malinga (38) have been playing in T20 tournaments around the globe just like Dwayne Bravo, who is 36. Each of them has been a key member for their respective franchise.
Imran Tahir won the Purple Cap for the most number of wickets taken in IPL 2019 at the age of 40. Along with Tahir, Dwayne Bravo was also instrumental for the Chennai Super Kings last season, picking 11 wickets at an economy rate of 8.01.
I want to contribute to the success of CSK in IPL 2020: Dwayne Bravo
The CSK all-rounder believes that contributing to the success of his franchise is more important than just aiming for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award. He wants to chip in with the bat and the ball as well as in the field. He said:
“I am not interested [in] the Most Valuable Player [award] in the IPL. I am interested in being able to contribute to my team Chennai Super Kings' success. Being as someone who bats at No. 7 and bowl near the death [and] back-end of the innings, it is hard to be the MVP. I want to be a player that contributes with bat and ball and in the field for his team to win cricket games.”
Dwayne Bravo is one of the only two bowlers to win the Purple Cap twice in the IPL. He is currently playing for Trinbago Knight Riders in the CPL. The 36-year-old recently became the first bowler to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket. He will join the CSK camp in the UAE once the CPL concludes.