Hyderabad: Experienced West Indies middle-order batter Darren Bravo has decided to take a break from the international game after being overlooked for the upcoming ODI series against England.
West Indies will take on England in a home white-ball tour consisting of three ODI and five T20Is starting December 3. Darren Bravo took to social media to announce his decision to move away from selection for West Indies. The left-handed batter last featured in internationals in February 2022.
Bravo has represented West Indies in over 200 games. In a career spanning 14 years, the southpaw has amassed 3,538 Test runs at an average of 36.47 with eight centuries. In the 50-over format, Bravo has 3,109 runs at an average close to 30, with four hundreds.
He was a prolific performer in the recently concluded List A domestic competition in the West Indies, the Super50 Cup 2023, with 416 runs at an average of 83.2 and a strike rate of 92.03. He scored a century and three fifties. The West Indies named squad for England as preparations begin for the 2027 ICC Cricket World Cup.
Despite the performances, the batter was left out of the England series as the selectors wanted to give an opportunity to the youngsters, with an eye on the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027.
Darren Bravo took to Instagram and explained in a post that the decision had given him time to reflect on his future as a cricketer. “I’ve taken some time to ponder and wonder what’s my next step moving forward as a cricketer,” the 34-year-old wrote in his Instagram post.
"At this point in my career, it’s not easy or should I say it takes a lot to continue to find the energy, the passion, commitment, and discipline to be able to perform to the best of my ability and put myself in a position to make my return to international cricket.”Without any level [of] communication, I’ve been left in a very dark place. At the moment, there [are] three teams representing the region in multiple formats/series. That’s approximately 40–45 players and if I can’t be in any of these teams after competing in our regional tournaments and scoring runs, therefore, they are basically telling me that the writing is on the wall (sic),” added Bravo, who played 56 Tests, 122 ODIs and 26 T20s. He also featured in just one Indian Premier League (IPL) game.
However, Bravo made it amply clear that he wasn't fully done with international cricket just yet. "I'm not giving up but I believe it's best to step away just for a bit and maybe make some room for a young and upcoming talent. I will end by wishing each and everyone all the very best,” he concluded.
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