After missing IPL 2017, Dwayne Bravo eyes return to action with CPL
After missing IPL 2017, Dwayne Bravo eyes return to action with CPL
When Gujarat Lions (GL) topped the Indian Premier League (IPL) points table last year, West Indian all-rounder Dwayne Bravo was vital cog in their campaign. With 17 wickets from 15 games, he was their second-highest wicket-taker. Besides, he added value to the team with his lower-order batting as well as athleticism on the field. So when he was ruled out of IPL 2017 without playing a game, it had a huge impact on his side’s fortunes, which failed to make it to the final four. However, after missing out on IPL, Bravo has now set his sights on the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) 2017, through which he aims to return to competitive cricket.
The CPL 2017 will be played in August, and Bravo, who has spent the first half of the year recovering from a hamstring injury, is hopeful of regaining full fitness by then. Bravo had suffered the injury during his time with the Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL) 2016 in December last year. Bravo, who got injured during a game, had to be stretchered off the field. He later underwent a surgery and missed the Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2 in February. He later travelled to India for IPL 2017, but did not play a single game as his rehabilitation continued. Eventually, Bravo left the IPL in last week of April.
Bravo has said he will feature in a friendly match for the opening of the Brian Lara Cricket Academy this month, but he does not want to rush his return before regaining full fitness. He also said that he remained available for selection in the West Indies Twenty20 International (T20I) squad, the only format which he plays for the team.
“My next competitive cricket will be for CPL. I am playing the game for Brian Lara on Friday,” Bravo was quoted as saying by a report in EspnCricinfo. “I’ll bowl two overs, maybe, just to see how it is getting back. International cricket is different. I want to give myself the best chance of coming back and playing the way I usually play, which is give 100 percent and do all the crazy things I do. I am not going to rush into anything. My target is to keep training and get my entire body in shape,” he further added.
“I have improved a lot. I am closer to playing now than I was three-four months ago. The surgery itself was successful. It’s just a matter of continuing my rehab programme. I don’t want to rush things, it’s a very severe injury. I want to make sure I am feeling good and comfortable in my mind,” Bravo further said.
Bravo then said he remains available for selection to the West Indies T20I team. “I am available for T20 selection, it’s the only format in which I am available for selection. So if selected for T20s, I will play. I will always have the passion and the drive to play for West Indies. I am only limited in being able to play one format and those are things that I don’t have control over,” he said.
Bravo also ruled himself out of selection for ODIs unless the selection structure for the West Indies team changes. Currently, players need to participate in the Regional Super50 List A competition to be available for selection in the ODI side. “I am not going to give up the contracts that I have around the world to come back and play in the domestic tournament,” he said. “I did it already and I got burned. I am not going to allow the same mistake to happen again. I gave up half of my contract in BBL in 2015 to come and play and make myself eligible for selection for the World Cup and the Sri Lanka tour, but I was not selected,” he said.
“Playing in those tournaments doesn’t guarantee you selection. It makes you available but it doesn’t guarantee selection. I am past the stage where I will give up certain amount of money on my contract and make myself available without any guarantee. If the structure changes or something different happens, then yes,” Bravo concluded.