DWAYNE BRAVO has been overlooked for the World Cup, hasn’t played a Test match since 2010 but has been offered a retainer contract by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB).
The WICB yesterday announced a 15-man squad for the forthcoming World Cup, confirming speculation that both Bravo and fellow Trinidadian Kieron Pollard would not be part of the Jason Holder-led unit for cricket’s showpiece event which takes place in Australia and New Zealand from February 14 to March 29.
Bravo, however, was one of 12 players the board approved for central retainer contracts which the WICB said were done on the basis of player performance in the various formats with Test cricket being the premier format followed by One-Day Internationals and Twenty20 Internationals.
Bulk of side
West Indies’ squad for the World Cup comprises the bulk of the side chosen for the upcoming five-match series against South Africa.
The only three to miss out are batsmen Leon Johnson and Narsingh Deonarine along with fast-bowling all-rounder Carlos Brathwaite. Their places have been taken by batsman Darren Bravo, pacer Kemar Roach and off-spinner Sunil Narine, who has spent the last few weeks trying to rectify his bowling action.
Marlon Samuels has been appointed as vice-captain ahead of Test captain Denesh Ramdin and Twenty20 skipper Darren Sammy.
Chairman of selectors Clive Lloyd said he had high hopes for the West Indies whose Pool B matches are against Ireland on February 16, Pakistan on February 21, Zimbabwe on February 24, South Africa on February 27, India on March 6 and United Arab Emirates on March 15.
“I believe we have selected a very good team which will do West Indies proud at the World Cup. We have a good mixture of some good seasoned players and some good youngsters who will fly the West Indies flag in Australia and New Zealand,” Lloyd said.
“If they play to their potential I am quite sure we will do very well. I have really high hopes in this team – I believe they can do something special.
“We have the talent and if we can play to our potential we have a very good chance of lifting that trophy.”
Lloyd, captain of West Indies teams that triumphed at the 1975 and 1979 World Cups, said that the prestige of the event offered a significant opportunity for the team to bring pride to the Caribbean region similar to the success of the West Indies team in ICC World Twenty20 in 2012.
“This is a very prestigious world event, one of the biggest sporting events on the international calendar and it is a huge opportunity to create something historic and memorable for West Indies cricket and the people of the region,” Lloyd said.
While Bravo, the West Indies ODI captain on the aborted tour of India last October, is on the list of contracted players for the period October 1, 2014 to September 30, 2015, big-hitting opener Chris Gayle and Narine both declined contract offers. (HG)
World Cup squad: Jason Holder (captain), Marlon Samuels (vice-captain), Sulieman Benn, Darren Bravo, Jonathan Carter, Sheldon Cottrell, Christopher Gayle, Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Lendl Simmons, Dwayne Smith, Jerome Taylor.
Contracted players: Sulieman Benn, Kraigg Brathwaite, Darren Bravo, Dwayne Bravo, Shivnarine Chanderpaul, Jason Holder, Denesh Ramdin, Kemar Roach, Andre Russell, Darren Sammy, Marlon Samuels, Jerome Taylor.