West Indies batter Darren Bravo has announced to take a break from cricket for an indefinite period of time after not being named in the West Indies squad for the three-match ODI series against England next month.
Bravo, who last represented the West Indies in February 2022, took to Instagram and announced his decision owing to the difficulty of giving his best in current circumstances.
“I’ve taken some time to ponder and wonder what’s my next step moving forward as a cricketer,” Darren Bravo wrote on Instagram.
“At this point in my career, it’s not easy or should I say it takes a lot to continue to find the energy, the passion, commitment, and discipline to be able to perform to the best of my ability and put myself in a position to make my return to international cricket.”
He further stated that he was not communicated about his exclusion, from the West Indies main squad as well as the West Indies Academy squad for the series against Ireland and the West Indies A squad for the unofficial Tests against South Africa.
“Without any level [of] communication, I’ve been left in a very dark place. At the moment, there [are] three teams representing the region in multiple formats/series. That’s approximately 40–45 players and if I can’t be in any of these teams after competing in our regional tournaments and scoring runs, therefore, they are basically telling me that the writing is on the wall,” he added.
The 34-year-old batter however clarified that he is not retiring, but only stepping away from the game for some time, without mentioning any specific time frame.
“I’m not giving up but I believe it’s best to step away just for a bit and maybe make some room for a young and upcoming talent. I will end by wishing each and everyone all the very best.”
Darren Bravo has represented West Indies in 56 Tests, 122 ODIs and 26 T20Is since making his debut in 2009, scoring over 7000 runs across three formats.
