CWI boss makes it clear: No selection policy on age

Cricket West Indies President Dr Kishore Shallow has made it abundantly clear that there is no policy in West Indies cricket that makes a player ineligible to represent the West Indies because of age.

His comments came after WI chief selector Desmond Haynes said Red Force captain Darren Bravo, 34, did not make the cut for next month's ODI series vs England as selectors took into consideration the preparation of the regional team for the 2027 World Cup.

Bravo, the top scorer in the recently concluded Super50 Cup, would be 38 when the tournament bowls off in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia in four years.

However, at the Queen's Park Cricket Club annual awards on Friday, Shallow told Newsday, “Any of the players who were involved in the tournament, once they have not announced their retirement from international cricket, they are still eligible.”

Haynes added that the selectors have invested in players like Alick Athanaze, 24, and Keacy Carthy, 26. "We can't invest in guys one year and then get rid of them the next year," he said.

Shallow made it abundantly clear that discriminating against players based on age was not part of the selectors' mandate: “There is absolutely no policy on age in Cricket West Indies when it comes to selection.”

He acknowledged that communication needs to improve within the operations of CWI. “Communication is something we must improve on throughout the entire organisation, whether with stakeholders or how selectors communicate with the players. It is extremely important and it’s a work in progress. We have improved, but still has a long way to go.”

Bravo 'steps away' from TT cricket

Less than 24 hours after Shallow spoke to Newsday, Bravo decided to temporary walk away from national cricket.

The stylish left-hander has been one of the leading scorers in regional cricket in the past few years in the four-day and limited-overs formats.

He posted on Instagram, "I've taken some time to ponder and wonder what's my next step moving forward as a cricketer,

"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."

The Santa Cruz batsman, known for his graceful cover drives, took a shot at the selectors. He said, “Without any level communication I've been left in a very dark place.

"At the moment there's three teams representing the region (West Indies, West Indies A and West Indies Academy) 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.”

He added, "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. I've lived my dream."

Bravo has played 56 Tests, 122 ODIs and 26 T20Is for West Indies since making his international debut in 2009. He has scored 3,538 Test runs at an average of 36.47 with eight hundreds. In ODIs, he has 3,109 runs at an average of 30.18, with four centuries.

Bravo led his team to the recently concluded CG United Super 50 title unbeaten whilst claiming the Golden Bat award scoring 416 runs with a highest score of 139 not out, and a tournament-high average of 83.2 which surpassed any other batsman selected on the team to face England.

He has been in a rich vein of form in regional cricket since his last stint for the maroon in February 2022. He was amongst the leading run scorers in the 2022 Super50 edition, accumulating 240 runs at an average of 48.00 and a top score of 71 runs. In the 2023 Regional Four-Day competition, he finished with 446 runs at an average of 55.75 scoring two centuries and one half-century.(with reporting by Stephon Nicholas)