I gave up World T20 and the money to play first-class cricket: Darren Bravo

There are only a few players in the current generation, who would be willing to leave the massive salary cap they get in the T20’s to play for the domestic team with a much-reduced monetary returns and one amongst them is West Indian Darren Bravo. While India‘s Cheteshwar Pujara plays a similar role for the team, where he was willing to focus on the longest format of cricket.

Darren Bravo has confirmed in an interview that Test Cricket has always been his forte, a format which he has tried to make his own. Bravo, went up to the extent of giving up on his IPL contracts and the golden opportunity to write his name on the winners’ list for the World T20 to play first-class cricket.

Bravo’s focus has always been in the longest format of cricket, while compared to his right-handed brother Dwayne Bravo, who is extensively playing in the shortest form of the game.

“I had two IPL contracts before Kolkata Knight Riders. I give up those two contracts. I also had opportunity to go and play in the T20 World Cup that West Indies won in India. I gave up that to stay home and play first-class cricket.” said the younger Bravo while talking to ESPNcricinfo.

He further added that “I could have jumped on the plane, gone to the T20 World Cup in India. If I get selected all well and good. If I don’t get selected, no problem, but I would have got approximately US$ 7,000 for one T20 game. I decided to stay home to play first-class cricket (where) I get paid $1300 (per match).”

Darren’s focus was on enhancing his skills in the longest format of the game, helping the Windies gain an edge over the other countries. He was also extremely unhappy with the way the board treated him.

“I have given up so much for West Indies cricket and the way I have been treated is like, my efforts and my energy and my whatever went all down the drain. And I don’t like the way I have been treated. Yes, I want to play Test cricket, but I have to make decisions, as I said about my family and stuff like that,” said Bravo when asked about his efforts to improve Windies.