Darren Bravo to answer ODI call

by TONY COZIER JUSTIFIABLY concerned with the frailty of the batting, the West Indies selectors are bringing back Darren Bravo early from the current ‘A’ team tour of Bangladesh.He will be available for the last three One-Day Internationals (ODI) of the current series against  South Africa.The classy, 21-year-old left-hander, younger half-brother of  all-rounder Dwayne, was omitted from the ‘A’ team’s final match in Bangladesh, the second of two  first-class encounters against  the hosts, so that he could return  to the Caribbean.He is expected to be named in the squad for the last three ODIs against South Africa, two in Dominica on Friday and Sunday and the last tomorrow week  that is now likely to be transferred from state-of-emergency Kingston  to Port-of-Spain.With Ramnaresh Sarwan’s serious hamstring injury during yesterday’s second ODI in Antigua, the return of the younger Bravo, who has already played seven ODIs after making his debut against India in the Caribbean last year, is especially timely.He was Player Of The Series in the three-way, 50-overs-an-innings ‘A’ team tournament in Bangladesh that also involved South Africa. He had scores of 2, 69, 107 not out, 67 not out and 69, followed by 102 and 37 in the  first four-day match against Bangladesh ‘A’.On the logical presumption that he would be retained in the squad for the three Tests against South Africa, the selectors would need to find a replacement for the ‘A’ team tour of Ireland and England  June 5 to July 8.The same is likely to apply to Kieron Pollard, who was also chosen for the tour, if exclusively for the One-Day matches, instead of left-handed opener Justin Guillen.Pollard, the power-hitting  all-rounder who has played in every international for the 2010 home season (against Zimbabwe, the World Twenty20 and now against South Africa), has a pre-existing contract with county team Somerset for England’s domestic Twenty20 championship that coincides with the ‘A’ tour.Under Indian Premier League (IPL) regulations, he was obligated to play for the West Indies in the ODIs against Zimbabwe in February, even though it meant  him missing the first two matches for the Mumbai Indians.IPL stipulations do not apply to Somerset. Additionally, Pollard is not one of those players retained  by the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) under contract.There could be need for  another switch for the ‘A’ team  with left-arm spinner Nikita Miller, who was named for the One-Day section of the England tour,  nursing a side strain.