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In light of his lack of selection in the West Indies
squad for their upcoming three-match ODI series against England next month,
Darren Bravo has made the decision to take a vacation from cricket. The
34-year-old, who last competed for the West Indies in February 2022, topped the
run charts in the 2023–24 Super50 Cup with 416 runs at an average of 83.20, but
he was still left out.
Bravo has not stated how long he plans to leave the
game.
“I’ve taken some time to ponder and wonder what’s
my next step moving forward as a cricketer,” Bravo wrote on Instagram.
“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.”
Bravo has not been included in the West Indies Academy
squad that is playing a home series against Ireland Academy or the West Indies
A squad that is travelling to South Africa for three unofficial Test matches,
aside from the senior ODI team.
“Without any level communication I’ve been left
in a very dark place,” he further wrote. “At the moment there’s 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.
“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 [sic] all the very best.
“I’ve lived my dream.””
Bravo made his international debut for the West Indies
in 2009 and has since participated in 56 Tests, 122 ODIs, and 26 T20Is. Chief
selector Desmond Haynes justified his exclusion by stating that the West Indies
wanted to give younger batsmen like Alick Athanaze and Keacy Carty longer runs,
especially since the next ODI World Cup is four years away. However, not
everyone agreed with the decision.