‘West Indies a threat to all teams at World Cup’ – Dwayne Bravo

The Windies drew 2-2 with England in a five-match one-day international in the Caribbean, and more than matched the No.1-ranked side in the MRF Tyres ICC ODI Team Rankings in the series. That, after securing an impressive 2-1 series win in the Tests.

Chris Gayle, set to retire after the World Cup, was the star of the series for the home side, along with the likes of Darren Bravo and Jason Holder, the captain, but the biggest takeaway for Bravo was the performance of the youngsters.

The likes of Shai Hope, Shimrom Hetmyer and Oshane Thomas all chipped in at various points during the series, and Bravo said it was a sign that the team was developing, and that they would cause problems for more established names at the World Cup.

“We have some good young players who have been improving and developing well and it is good to see the way the team is doing against England which is the number one ODI side,” Bravo said in Dubai.

“I have talked to captain Jason Holder and others and I believe this team will be a threat to all teams in the World Cup which is going to be a very open tournament this time. Anyone can do well on a given day, but I feel confident about West Indies as we see a good mix of experience and youth.”

Bravo announced his retirement from international cricket in October last year, and is currently a freelance T20 all-rounder. He has won two ICC Men’s T20 World Cups with West Indies, but says he is enjoying the present phase of his career, playing for T20 franchises the world over.

“For me, this is a game I was born to play as a kid,” said Bravo. “It was my childhood dream to play. I am happy playing it, fans come and pay to watch us and get entertained.

“I play the game in the right kind of spirit and the way it should be played. We need to have fun and that’s what DJ Bravo is about, that’s what is my brand is about.”