The T&T Cricket Board (TTCB) has congratulated Dwayne Bravo on his momentous achievement of becoming the first-ever cricketer to take 500 wickets in T20 cricket.
The 36-year-old allrounder, who plays with the Trinbago Knight Riders (TKR), wrote his name into the cricket history books on Wednesday in the 13th match of the current Hero Caribbean Premier League (CPL) being played in T&T.
Bravo had Rakheem Cornwall caught by Colin Munro for 18 to claim the feat on his home ground at the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain as the Knight Riders kept their unbeaten record in the 2020 tournament intact with a convincing win against the St Lucia Zouks by the Duckworth-Lewis Method in a rain-affected encounter.
However, his moment of glory could not be marked by the customary spontaneous eruption of joy and celebrated by home fans as the tournament is being played in empty stadiums in adherence to strict COVID-19 pandemic regulations.
President of TTCB, Azim Bassarath said that the entire cricket fraternity will nonetheless be celebrating with Bravo since he has become the most recognisable face of the shortest format of the game wherever the game is played.
There was double celebration for Bravo as he also became the first bowler to reach 100 wickets in CPL, having played all his matches in the regional franchise tournament for his native Trinbago Knight Riders.
He noted that Bravo has not disappointed those who placed their faith in his remarkable ability as a cricketer and inspirational leader since announcing his entry into the T20 game playing for T&T in the Stanford T20 tournament in Antigua, which was a precursor to the franchise which has captured the imagination of cricket lovers.
Bravo is also a double ICC World Cup T20 winner (2012 and 2016) with the West Indies and has captained the regional team in all formats of the game. He continues to be a huge drawing card for T20 fans around the world and has been the talisman in the TKR team's dominance in the Hero CPL since its inception.
"Bravo deserves all the salutations and commendations for this outstanding achievement, the latest in a star-studded career, which stands testimony to his resilience, commitment, and dedication to the game of cricket. He is a true exemplar and role model for all young people who aspire to realise their fullest potential. Dwayne has made all of T&T proud," said Bassarath.