TT captaincy brought maturity

WEST INDIES batsman Darren Bravo linked a more mature approach to his recent performances in the Regional Super50 Cup, and the three-match One-Day International (ODI) series against Sri Lanka, to his appointment as TT Red Force captain in 2019.

Bravo was named captain of the TT Red Force for the 2019-2020 Regional Four-Day Tournament, after he was dropped from the WI Test team for their overseas series against Afghanistan.

During last month’s Regional Super50 Cup, where TT Red Force prevailed after winning all seven of their matches, the left-handed batsman compiled 195 runs in five games at an average of 65.0.

And, in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, Bravo tallied 149 runs in three innings, at an average of 74.5, with a topscore of 102 in Sunday’s third and final match.

During an online media conference on Monday, the 32-year-old Bravo said, “I think the level of responsibility has helped me improve as a player. Ever since I got the opportunity to captain TT in the Four-Day tournament, it allowed me to see things from a different perspective.”

Bravo was recalled to the WI Test team after missing February’s two-match series against Bangladesh. He was one of many WI players who declined to tour due to covid19 fears.

“Leadership is not really a problem but I believe it has helped me to go the extra mile, to (take) the extra step,” Bravo added. “It’s a blessing in disguise for me and I’m really happy about that.”

Bravo, who has played 56 Tests and 116 ODIs since making his international debut in 2009, also spoke about his fourth ODI century on Sunday.

“It’s always good to get runs under your belt,” he said. “It’s always good to spend time out in the middle, more so just before the start of a Test series. At the end of the day, it’s a totally different format.” The WI defeated Sri Lanka 2-1 in the three-match T20 series and swept the visitors 3-0 in the ODI series.

According to Bravo, “As a team, we definitely need to believe in ourselves. The team is riding on some sort of confidence after doing well against Bangladesh in their home country. As long as we do that, we should be able to come out on top. We’re not taking anything for granted. We’ve won the two series with the white ball, the T20s and the ODIs, but it’s important that we plan well and we execute well.”