Dwayne Bravo: A rebel with two causes

“It’s more about regaining the focus and self-belief that I had before,” is how he had explained his decision then. But for a number of former players and experts in the Caribbean, that unprecedented break was seen as a sign that the Trinidadian all-rounder was done with playing for the West Indies. That his focus was no longer there, and that he was more affected by the ugly Gayle episode than the man himself.

“I am not so worried about Gayle as I am about Bravo and whether he’ll ever return,” a former West Indian fast bowler-turned-commentator had said then. As it turned out, Bravo did return to the big stage some 12 months later.

But it’s unlikely that three years ago, many would have imagined seeing him captain the West Indies again. Forget champion a mini revolt for the benefit of his teammates and call the administration’s bluff publicly and in gung-ho fashion. Or for that matter inspire his under-rated outfit to a massive win against the world champions in their own backyard. But Bravo did all that and more in Kochi on Wednesday.

Leading by example 

Having spent the night on the eve of the first ODI drafting a damning letter to the West Indies Players’ Association (WIPA) president Wavell Hinds, he promoted himself to the opener’s slot in the absence of the injured Lendl Simmons. Though he didn’t make many runs, he showed intent and set the ball rolling. He then brought himself on at a crucial stage in India’s run chase and dismissed Suresh Raina to hand West Indies the initiative.

The 124-run win at the Nehru Stadium was the 12th in 25 matches for Bravo since he took over the reins from Darren Sammy prior to the Champions Trophy last year. A period in which he’s averaged 35.94 with the bat and 25.28 with the ball.

And in his 17-month reign, the 31-year-old has come of age in a fashion he seemed destined for from the moment he was fast-tracked into the side a decade earlier.

Hailing from Santa Cruz, the same village as Brian Lara, Bravo was a prodigal talent who had all the shots in the book and could bowl at a lively pace while swinging the ball. And he lived up to the next-big-thing tag during the first few years of his career. Within three years of his debut, Bravo had a Test century and a five-wicket haul each in England and Australia, and a number of match-winning performances in ODIs. And he was also captaining the side, albeit in a stand-in capacity. But the one they called the ‘New Big Dog’ had developed an image of being a rather cool cat. A merry-maker off the field, despite being a teetotaler, and one too laidback to stay focused in the longer format.

In 2009, he was deemed unfit for the Tests in England. So Bravo flew to South Africa and played in almost all of Mumbai Indians’ matches in the second season of the IPL. Long before Kieron Pollard and Sunil Narine, Bravo was the first rebel of the T20 generation, one who chose club over country. One with a plethora of T20 commitments around the world, but who last played a Test in December 2010.

Those close to the team have always held that the fun-loving side of Bravo has been misconstrued. On the field he is, they insist, a cricketer with a fiery and feisty spirit. Fortunately for the West Indies that intensity has been on show ever since Bravo donned the captain’s arm-band. Not only did he sign an official WICB contract for the first time ever, earlier this year, he was also outspoken during the team’s series loss in New Zealand, citing a ‘lack of unity’ in the ranks. And there are many, including Lara, who have called for his compatriot’s recall to the Test side.

For the next couple of weeks, however, Bravo will look to lead his charges, both on and off the field, with the same earnestness that he has shown so far, and make the most of an unexpectedly buoyant start to a series, in which Gayle again remains conspicuously absent.