T&T left-handed batsman Darren Bravo needs to play more First Class cricket before getting back into the Windies Test set-up, so says an official close to Cricket Windies Indies (CWI) cricket affairs.
Bravo, 29, was overlooked by the regional selectors for the upcoming Test tour of Bangladesh although his troubles with the board have come to an end and he was selected to play for the Windies in the T20 series in India two weeks ago.
A source close to the situation who spoke to Guardian Sports on the condition of anonymity said that while it is great news that Bravo is available for Windies again, one has to be careful about his return to the longer format.
“It is wonderful that one of our most talented players is back in the Windies fold and we are expecting great things from him. However, he has played little or no First Class cricket and it will not be fair to him or the team at large to just thrust him into the Test arena at the moment. The West Indies four-day tournament is starting in a matter of weeks and he has an opportunity to get in there and look to play the longer format, condition himself for the rigours of Test cricket and then he can be looked at. It is not easy just transforming from T20 cricket and 50-over cricket back into the longer format."
The source continued that, “The Red Force has two matches before the Christmas break and he needs to get involved with that franchise and play some cricket. Look to get time in the park and I am sure he will be back in whites shortly. England will visit the Windies very early in the year and we will need guys like him in the set up as we look to build a good and competitive Test team. Darren Bravo always has a place in the Windies setup but it is up to him to take advantage of what is in front of him and prepare himself properly for his eventual return.”
Bravo of Santa Cruz, has been out of the West Indies set-up since he was controversially sent home ahead of the Tri-Nation Series in Zimbabwe in November 2016 after the West Indies Cricket Board (WICB) sensationally cancelled his match/tour contract over a contentious tweet deemed "disparaging" to President Dave Cameron.
The Windies team will play Bangladesh in the upcoming two Tests, three ODIs and three T20Is series, starting next week in that country.