MELBOURNE — Out-of-favor all-rounder Dwayne Bravo Wednesday lamented the sorry state of West Indian cricket and said those running the game needed to take a long hard look at themselves.
Bravo was stripped of the one-day captaincy a year ago then left out of the West Indies’ World Cup squad after the team he skippered walked out of its tour of India last year in a row over contracts.
He has not been picked for one-dayers since and quit Test cricket this year after being ignored by selectors.
In Australia to play for the Melbourne Renegades in the Twenty20 Big Bash League, Bravo said it was painful to see what had happened to the once-formidable West Indian team.
“Times change and I think that is one of our problems, we tend to hold on too much to the past and not focus on the future. That has been our downfall,” he said. “It’s painful to see the state of our cricket.”
His comments come amid stinging criticism about the tourists’ inept performance in the first Test of their current series against Australia, which won in Hobart by an innings inside three days Saturday.
Bravo joined a host of fellow former greats in blaming the West Indies Cricket Board for the current malaise.
“We’ve got the players to be up there with the best in the world but there’s a lot of things going on,” he said.
“Those in-charge have to look into themselves. We don’t have proper grounds, proper nets or a proper academy. All these things are a part of our downfall.
“The relationship between players, board members and management staff — it needs to get stronger and tighter. They (the board) need to have a lot more honesty.”
His remarks follow pace great Michael Holding Tuesday saying the West Indies Cricket Board was “dysfunctional, untrustworthy and not liked by the employees,” while Brian Lara blasted its “bad governance.”
Bravo said despite wanting to play Test cricket again earlier this year, he was now no longer interested.
“Until earlier this year I was still interested to play Test cricket but I have yet to hear anything from any selector, what their plans are for me, what my position is,” said 32-year-old Bravo, who has played 40 Tests.
“I just decided it’s time to move on with my life and try to channel my energy in different places.
“I would have loved the opportunity to play Test cricket again but since being dropped back in 2010 I never got the chance and I just decided to call it a day.”
Despite this and his row with the West Indian board, he has not given up hope of again playing the shorter forms of the game at international level.
“I’m not shutting down my opportunities to represent the West Indies, I still 100 percent want to play for the West Indies in One-Day Internationals and T20s,” he said.
Cummins added to squad
Fast bowler Miguel Cummins will replace the injured Shannon Gabriel in the West Indies squad for the remaining two Tests against Australia. The West Indies Cricket Board made the announcement Wednesday.
Cummins has taken 99 wickets at an average of 22.83 in 36 first-class matches. He has one appearance for the West Indies, in a One-Day International against Ireland at Sabina Park, Jamaica, in February 2014.
Gabriel injured his left ankle while bowling in the first innings of the first Test in Hobart.
The second Test starts at the Melbourne Cricket Ground from Dec. 26.
