Kolkata: Dashing all-rounder Dwayne Bravo has joined skipper Darren Sammy in criticising the West Indies Cricket Board, saying “even Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) does more” for them compared to the West Indies Ccricket Board (WICB).
“The country’s cricket is not in right hands. We have not got a telephone call from any of the WICB officials or directors. That’s not a good thing,” Bravo told the ‘Star Sports’ in a post-final interview on Sunday night.
“We know that they did not want or believe that we could win this tournament. It was basically us against them. Even the BCCI does more for us,” he added.
He also questioned as to how players like him, Gayle and Russell are being kept out of the West Indies ODI side.
“If we look at the calender, we don’t have anymore T20 matches this year. We are not picked for the ODIs. There’s a series that’s going to happen with South Africa but we will be playing in England (Natwest Blast) whereas we should have been playing for the West Indies.
“Look at the love we get over here. Even the BCCI does more for us than our board.
“But it’s nice that the CARICOM people are coming together. Cricket is a way that unites people in the Caribbean,” concluded Bravo.
Meanwhile, advising selectors not to wield the axe after India’s World T20 semi-final exit, Pakistan cricket legend Wasim Akram believes Ravi Shastri should continue as the team director.
“None of the teams from the subcontinent could reach the final of the WT20. For [Indian skipper] M.S. Dhoni and his boys the setback is all the more as they were being considered hot favourites on home soil,” Akram said in an exclusive column for the Bengali tabloid Ebela.
“I have come across reports that Ravi Shastri’s term has ended and the authorities were mulling bringing a new coach. I think, if Shastri is willing, he should be in the hot seat.”
The former speedster said foreign coaches had worked with the Indian team earlier, but Shastri and his coaching team has shown that indigenous coaches were not inferior to the foreigners.
Pointing out that the Indian team lost eight consecutive Test matches under erstwhile coach Duncan Fletcher, Akram said Shastri has boosted the team’s morale after taking over responsibility.
“The Indians have whitewashed Australia in T20. More importantly, one can again see the Indian team being moulded into a fighting unit which is not loathe to look at the opponents eye to eye,” he said.
Praising Shastri, he said he cannot only raise the team morale, but also has vast technical knowledge.
“I don’t know what the Indian cricket administrators are thinking. But I will be surprised if Shastri is removed”.
