Bravo Brave
Dwayne John Bravo (born 7 October 1983) is a Trinidadian cricketer, who plays all formats of the game and a former captain in all formats. A genuine all-rounder, Bravo batsright-handed and bowls right-arm medium-fast pace. He is particularly known for his aggressive batting in the middle order, and for his "at the death" bowling. He is also known for his variety of lengths he can bowl at. He also performs as a singer.[2]
Since 2004, Bravo has played 40 Test matches, 164 One Day Internationals and 66Twenty20 Internationals for the West Indies. He was a key member of the West Indies team that won the 2012 ICC World Twenty20and 2016 ICC World Twenty20 titles.
In domestic cricket, Bravo has played for his native Trinidad and Tobago since 2002. He has also played for the Chennai Super Kingsin the Indian Premier League, the Lahore Qalanders in the Pakistan Super League, theMelbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League, the Chittagong Kings in the Bangladesh Premier League, and Kent and Essex in English county cricket. In 2013, he was named as a franchise player at the launch of theCaribbean Premier League[3]
On 31 January 2015, Bravo announced his retirement from Test cricket.[4] He continues to play ODIs and T20Is. He was also a contestant on the dance reality show Jhalak Dikhhla Jaa. Bravo has also sung and produced the song 'Champion Champion' in March, 2016, which became a club anthem in India, in the aftermath of the West Indies cricket teams' victory in the 2016 T20 World Cup . [5]
Domestic career
Bravo made his first-class debut for Trinidad and Tobago against Barbados in 2002, opening the innings and scoring 15 and 16 but not bowling. He scored his maiden first-class century a month later and was included in the West Indies A squad for their tour of England in 2002. In early 2003 he scored another century but it was a spell of bowling in which he took 6–11 against the Windward Islands that brought him to prominence as an all-rounder.
Indian Premier League
Dwayne Bravo played for the Mumbai Indiansin the Indian Premier League for the first three seasons. He was picked up by the Chennai Super Kings during 2011 IPL Auctions. He was one of the top performing players in the 2012 IPL playing for Chennai Super Kings scoring 461 runs at an average of 57 off a strike rate of 178. He was also the team's highest wicket taker with 19 wickets.[citation needed]
He also performed well in the 2013 IPL playing for Chennai Super Kings, taking 32 wickets at an average of 9.15 to win the Purple Cap and overthrow Albie Morkel to become Chennai Super Kings's leading wicket taker. During IPL 2014 he sustained a shoulder injury in the first match against Kings XI Punjab and was subsequently ruled out of the remaining matches. He launched his single music Chalo Chalo in Chennai on 3 May 2015.[6]
He performed well in the 2015 IPL playing for Chennai Super Kings, taking 26 wickets and winning the purple cap for a second time. He is the one of the two man who has won 2 purple caps.[7] After the suspension ofChennai Super Kings for 2 years, he was bought by Gujarat Lions.
Pakistan Super League
Dwayne Bravo is currently signed withPeshawar Zalmi. In the inaugural event of thePakistan Super League in 2016, he played with Lahore Qalandars for US$70,000. However, subject to his poor performance, his team finished 5th and were disqualified. He also captained the side in the absence of regular captain Azhar Ali. He was retained by Qalandars for 2017 Season.[8] He didn't feature however, and his spot was given to England's Jason Roy. Peshawar Zalmi selected him in the 2018 draft from Platinum category. [9]
International career
Debut years
Bravo made his One Day International debut against England in their 2003/04 tour of the Caribbean, in a match in which he failed to bat but took 2–31 with the ball. In the West Indiestour of England in 2004 Bravo made his Testdebut when he was selected for the First Test at Lord's in which he scored 44 and 10 and took three wickets. He finished the Test series with 68 wickets and a total of 220 runs with his most impressive performance at Old Trafford in a match in which he was the top scorer in the first innings with 77 followed by a 8 for 37 performance with the ball. The latter remains his best bowling figures in Test cricket.
Years through injuries
On the West Indies tour of Australia in 2005, Bravo was controversially not picked for the first Test at Brisbane in which the West Indies were beaten convincingly. He was recalled for the second Test in Hobart and made a superb 113, after coming in at a very difficult stage for the West Indies. His innings lifted the West Indies and helped them regain some pride, forcing the Australians to bat for a second time in the match. In the third and final match of the series at Adelaide, he bowled a superb spell in the Australians first innings taking 6 for 84.
In West Indies tour of New Zealand in early 2006 Bravo strained his left side in the Twenty20 game at the start of the tour and was unable to bowl but still played in all three tests as a specialist batsman. His selection showed how far he had come in the previous two years and how crucial he had become to the West Indies team.[10]
Comeback in 2006
After a disappointing series in India Bravo returned to top form in the ICC Champions Trophy 2006 when he took 7 wickets at an average of 27.57 and scored 164 runs at an average of 41 although most of the runs were scored in a dead rubber with England in which he made his first ever ODI century scoring a majestic 112 not out as part of a second wicket stand of 174 with Chris Gayle. His bowling contained some lethal slower-paced yorkers with which he dismissed Michael Clarke and Chris Read.
During the Third Test against England at Old Trafford on 9 June 2007, Bravo acted as an emergency wicket-keeper in place of Denesh Ramdin who had gone off for treatment after being hit on the head with the ball. In the same Test he took the wicket of England batsman Kevin Pietersen with a bouncerwhich struck the batsman's helmet knocking the helmet off of his head onto the stumps and dislodging the bails causing Pietersen to be given out hit wicket.
ICC Campaigns
Bravo played in all of West Indies games at the 2007 Cricket World Cup in the West Indies. He had a disappointing World Cup scoring 129 runs at an average of 21.50 and although he took 13 wickets at 27.76 his economy rate was 5.56. Against South Africa he conceded 69 runs off 7 overs including 18 off his first over.
He was ruled out from the 2011 Cricket World Cup in India due to the knee injury when he slipped at the wicket while bowling to South African batsman on 24 February at Delhi. He was rested for four weeks and could not participate further in the tournament.[11]
He played in all of West Indies games at the2012 ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, which the West Indies won. He played most of the tournament as a batsman as injury prevented him from bowling. Bravo was controversially left out of the West Indies squad for the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. The West Indies struggled in his absence, especially in the bowling department.
He then played in all of West Indies games at the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 in India, which the West Indies won. His high quality death bowling is considered to be one of the main reasons that the West Indies won the title.[12]
Controversy
During a Test series against South Africa in 2005, Bravo scored his maiden century – 107 before getting out to Mark Boucher – in the fourth Test in Antigua, but that was overshadowed when he accused South African Graeme Smith of directing a racist comment at him. At the subsequent hearing no evidence could be found and charges were dropped against Smith, who immediately demanded an apology from Bravo.[13] Bravo, backed by the West Indies Cricket Board, refused to do so and received a hail of criticism from an indignant South African press while finding support at home as a human rights campaigner.
In 2014, during a tour of India, Bravo was spokesman for the players during players strike which resulted in the tour being cancelled half way. He was later omitted from the West Indies World Cup squad for the 2015 World Cup.
Records
- Bravo holds the record (6/43) for the world's best bowling figures in an ODI match as a captain in a bilateral series[14]
- Along with Jerome Taylor, he set the record (66) for the highest ever 9th wicket partnership in T20Is[15]
- He holds the record (87 - in 2016) for taking the most number of wickets in all forms of T20s in a single calendar year [16]
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