Former West Indies captain Dwayne Bravo said on Saturday that the current players representing the West Indies against Pakistan is a lost group with many believing that windball cricket is better organised than what they are experiencing with the Caribbean team in Dubai.
“I was there in Dubai and basically the players were lost, the management team was lost, everything just looked like we were school kids again, and the team meetings had no sort of positive inputs or anything like that. It was like we were just there,” an obviously hurt Bravo stated.
Bravo said that while individually the West Indies players were always motivated, the events leading up to the team leaving the Caribbean disturbed the entire momentum of the squad.
“The honest truth is that it is very difficult for a bunch of 15 guys to really switch on when they are leaving for a series and the day of the team travelling they find out that their head coach (Phil Simmons) was fired. Like which organisation in the world would do things like that? This was a coach that had the support of the entire team and one of the best coaches we have had and he has done so much in a short period. Everyone knows that, and we were making positives,” stated Bravo.
The multi-talented West Indies all-rounder said he was concerned about the impression given to the younger players on the tour. “Without Dwayne Bravo saying anything to the young players, when those guys get there and realise what is going on, their first statement is that their windball team is better organised,” he added.
Bravo said he remains passionate about the sport but no longer has the desire to play “this type of cricket any more.”
“While my passion remains for the game and the sport, and I am always motivated when I take the field, what about those young players who I want to see come through. I no longer have that energy, that zeal to play a part in this type of cricket, and while I speak for myself, I echo the views of most of my teammates. Guys no longer have that interest anymore and it is sad to say that at the moment.”
The West Indies were swept in the three-match T20 series and suffered losses in the two One-day Internationals played so far.
Bravo said he is concerned about the future of cricket in the region and warned that change has to start at the regional level. “If change comes at the territorial level with the respective cricket boards, there is a chance for improvement.”
He said that change must start with Trinidad and Tobago. “Time has come for change, the entire Caribbean fans, the people of the region, are all hurting, so we as players as well, feel the hurt, feel very disappointed in the way how cricket is being run in Trinidad and Tobago and by extension in the West Indies. I honestly do not see anything changing if the current administrators remain and they know why they are doing the things to actually try to remain. At the end of the day, I do not think they have the best interest of cricket, it is all about egos and these kind of things,” remarked Bravo.
Bravo said there were T&T players who believed that the Trinidad and Tobago Cricket Board do not support them and do not have their interest at heart. He pointed to himself, Keiron Pollard, Sunil Narine and Lendl Simmons.
“It is difficult in those circumstances to encourage these players to want to play in this environment. There is a strong possibility that the people of Trinidad and Tobago may never get the opportunity to witness any of these players come together and represent Trinidad and Tobago again. That is a sad situation. People need to open their eyes and make changes,” said Bravo. (Trinidad Guardian)
