All-rounder Dwayne Bravo makes a return to West Indies’ T20I side for the upcoming series against Ireland after a three year hiatus from the national squad. Tiffs with the board had seen quite a few T29 mercenaries skip International games for the Windies in the last few years but with Kieron Pollard, one of those players at a time, returning as skipper and with a change of administration in the board, some of these players are making a comeback.
Bravo, 36, had come out of T20I retirement last year and was hopeful of a spot in the Windies squad for the T20 World Cup in Australia in late 2020. He last played in Abu Dhabi in September 2016 and announced his retirement in October 2018. Though picked in the reserves for last year’s World Cup in England, Bravo is keen to play only T20Is.
“Dwayne Bravo was recalled with the specific intention of bolstering our ‘death’ bowling which was identified as an area that really needs improving,” Roger Harper, West Indies’ chief selector, said. “His record in this department speaks for itself. He will also be able to act as a mentor to the other ‘death’ bowlers and lend his experience wherever needed.”
A T20 veteran, Bravo has a slew of variations in the death overs and is a beast to handle in the latter stage of an innings. Bravo has had a long T20 career with 450 matches across leagues and 66 International T20 games.
West Indies T20I squadÂ
Kieron Pollard (capt), Dwayne Bravo, Sheldon Cottrell, Shimron Hetmyer, Brandon King, Evin Lewis, Khary Pierre, Nicholas Pooran, Rovman Powell, Sherfane Rutherford, Lendl Simmons, Hayden Walsh jr.