New Delhi, December 13: West Indies all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has reversed his international retirement by making himself available for T20 selection. Bravo had announced his retirement in 2018, but has not played for the West Indies since September 2016, due to the fall out with West Indies Cricket (CWI). He last played international cricket in September 2016, a T20I against Pakistan in the UAE.
"Today I confirm the announcement of my decision to return to International Cricket to all my fans and well wishers all around the world. It's no secret that this big announcement has come as a result of the changes made at the administration level," stated Bravo in a media release. Dwayne Bravo & Kieron Pollard Get Ready to Fight it Out in Selector Fan Cup.
"For a while now I have been contemplating my return to international cricket and my decision was solidified by these positive changes. With the current leadership of coach Phil Simmons and captain Kieron Pollard I'm really excited about this come back and about the chance to be part of something really special," he added. Stating that West Indies has a lot of young talent, Bravo said along with Pollard, Simmons and Jason Holder, he can contribute towards brining a positive change within the team.
"With a powerful team such as ours we can definitely rebuild the WI T20I cricket team on and off the field and improve our rankings. I will remain fully committed to WI T20 team once selected. Thank you to all my fans and supporters for your continuous support as always," he said.
Earlier in November, the 36-year-old had hinted that he is considering playing international cricket again while congratulating West Indies team for a 3-0 clean sweep over Afghanistan in the ODI series in Lucknow via an Instagram post. Bravo has featured in 40 Tests, 164 ODIs and 66 T20Is for the Windies. He has scored 6,310 runs across all formats and bagged 337 wickets to go with it.
He still continues to play T20 cricket for franchises like the Chennai Super Kings (IPL), Lahore Qalandars (PSL), Melbourne Renegades (BBL), Trinbago Knight Riders (CPL), Winnipeg Hawks (Canada). He recently played for Maratha Arabians who were crowned as the winning team of the Abu Dhabi T10 League. Along with his spectacular death bowling and explosive batting, Bravo has made a name for himself by creating viral music tracks.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 13, 2019 01:11 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).